Lost and Found
by Storywriter55
Summary: Neal enlists Peter's help to make one of Sara's most precious dreams come true.
1. Chapter 1

_Neal enlists Peter's help to make one of Sara's most precious dreams come true._

**Lost and found**

**Chapter 1**

August was a very busy month in the Caffrey household. It meant the family vacation, shopping for school clothes and supplies and just generally planning for the new school year for two busy teens and two working parents. Luckily, Sara Ellis-Caffrey was a very organized woman. Despite working full-time at Sterling Bosch as an analyst and keeping the household running smoothly, she was the main coordinator of all things 'logistic' in the household and her husband deferred to her when it came to keeping everyone in the family on the straight and narrow. Over the years, both Neal and Sara had fallen into distinct and specific roles with their children – although both were equally involved, their tasks were varied and the kids knew instinctively which of their parents was the go-to person, depending on the situation.

Neal was still working at Johns and Finch as an art authenticator although he had cut down to three days a week in preparation for the opening of his new art gallery in January. He was also teaching an art history class at the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU and working the odd white collar case whenever Peter needed his expert talents which seemed to be happening more than usual lately. Neal guessed that it might have something to do with the fact that Peter was retiring at the end of the year – Peter wouldn't admit it but he had become very nostalgic about his years working with Neal and he seemed to be holding on to those good times by recruiting his ex-CI a little more frequently.

Neal was painfully aware that August also brought with it a sad anniversary for his wife. Every year, as August 28th loomed nearer, he would begin to observe subtle changes in her behavior. Not anything dramatic; Sara was a very no-nonsense woman after all and her life was full and very busy. But in the days leading to that fateful date, he would begin to notice her becoming quieter, a little more morose and, over the years, he had worked at finding the perfect balance between being sensitive and giving her the space she needed. Sure, as a married couple, they shared everything and supported each other through the highs and lows but this was _her _heartache and she tended to keep the sadness and pain to herself. This year was going to be particularly tough, Neal thought, it would be 35 years since Sara's sister disappeared without a trace and that was bound to hit even harder than usual.

'Guys, if you're not in the car in ten minutes, we are leaving without you!' called Sara from the bottom of the stairs. The kids had both heard that threat many times before but they still heeded the warning, knowing the wrath of their mom all too well. Liam thought that the chances that his mom would actually leave an 11-year-old alone for two weeks were slim but he really wasn't ready to take that chance.

'Mom, you say that all the time' he said as he trudged down the stairs lugging a basketball, a tennis racket and some sneakers 'and you never do it!'

'Don't tempt me, buddy!' said Sara deadpan, as she ruffled his hair. 'Hope, _what_ are you doing?'

Hope appeared at the top of the stairs holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder and Sara could hear her talking softly 'It's only two weeks' she was saying 'I'll miss you too. No, there's no phone service but I'll text you as soon as I get back.' She was slowly making her way down the stairs seemingly without a care in the world, balancing some art supplies, a bag full of clothes, her laptop and her phone – no doubt talking to Justin, the new boy in her life. At 16, Hope was a knockout and there was no shortage of interested young men gravitating around her. Although Hope was a very independent and strong young woman who was quite content doing her own thing, she had not been immune to the charms of the cutest guy in grade 11 when he had started to show her some attention. Sara rolled her eyes and she heard Neal calling to them from the driveway.

'Today, people!' he was saying as he placed what he hoped was the last of the luggage in the car. Sara could hear Raphael, the family dog, barking excitedly; he knew he was going somewhere but he had no idea where... that didn't stop him from being agitated though, just being in the car was excitement enough for him.

They finally settled in and headed north, Neal at the wheel, Raffie running from one side of the car to the other and the kids engrossed in reading or playing video games. As co-pilot, it was Sara's job to be up on all the road conditions, any closures due to repairs and all possible stops along the way. Considering they had been heading out to the same vacation spot every year for the past fourteen years, that wasn't too much of a stretch. Neal knew the road inside out and they settled in for the long drive towards the Canadian border en route to the most beautiful cottage in the world – at least in their minds.

Neal and Sara had discovered the cottage years ago when Hope was about two years old. Sara had been preparing for chemo treatments following her surgery for ovarian cancer and they had needed a getaway. They had fallen in love with the beauty of Lake Muskoka and had returned every summer since. Both of the kids couldn't remember a summer when they didn't go – except of course, for that one year that no one ever talked about.

Once there, the days – and nights – went by seamlessly, evenings were spent around the fire, listening to the loons and enjoying each other's company. The days were spent by the water, swimming, snorkeling, reading or just plain relaxing. Neal had put up a net so he and Liam could play some tennis and all four of them enjoyed playing some two on two basketball before dinner every night. But best of all, were the leisurely summer days hanging out by the dock as everyone enjoyed the warm sun and gorgeous Canadian scenery.

'Dad, I forgot the frisbee' said Liam from the lake. He had already taken the plunge – he absolutely adored the water and he was always the first one in and the one last out.

'Alright, I'll get it' said Neal as he climbed back up towards the cottage

He walked in and as he did, he could hear some faint whimpering from the bedroom he shared with Sara. Instantly, he remembered the date – it was today. With all the activity and the days melting into one another, he had not bothered to check the calendar since they'd left home. He followed the noise and sure enough, found his wife sitting with an all too familiar photograph in her hands.

'Sara...' he said softly as he walked in and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

She looked up, eyes welling up with tears 'It's thirty five years today, Neal' she said quietly. 'I can't believe it – 35 years of not knowing. Even knowing she's _dead_ would be easier than this'

Neal put his arm around his wife, pulling her into him 'I know, baby, I know' he whispered into her hair, feeling totally useless, as he always did on this particular anniversary.

He had offered on more than one occasion to look into Emily's disappearance but Sara, for all her talk of 'knowing being better than not knowing', had steadfastly refused his offer. The truth was, Neal suspected, that it was easier for Sara to continue to believe that Emily was somewhere safe and happy. To know the truth might shatter that illusion – but, he thought, it could also have a happy ending and he was becoming increasingly uneasy with not knowing...

WCWCWC

Liam sat with his Uncle Peter at the table on the backyard deck as they went through vacation photographs on his laptop.

'And check this out, Uncle Peter, here's Dad _attempting_ a cannonball' he said laughing

'That was a perfectly respectable cannonball' contested Neal as he proceeded to flip the burgers on the barbecue. It was Labor Day weekend, the last long weekend of the summer and the Caffreys were hosting the Burkes. Hope was cuddling up to Justin in a corner of the yard by the pool and Neal kept one eye on the two of them while keeping the other on the grill; meanwhile Elizabeth and Sara were in the kitchen putting together a salad for dinner.

'So, you had a good time?' asked Elizabeth as she sliced some cucumber

'The best – always!' answered Sara 'I realize that it's a question of time before the kids stop coming with us, though. They'll be getting summer jobs soon and won't want to leave the city but for now, we're enjoying doing this as a family'

Elizabeth nodded. 'So what about this boy?' she asked looking out the window to where Hope and Justin were curled up

'I don't know...' said Sara 'she seems to really like him but when he's not around, she doesn't seem to miss him much. She's really very independent'

'The pot calling the kettle black' mused Elizabeth, looking at her friend 'you've always been very strong and self-sufficient...'

'Well, you can be very self-sufficient and still be madly in love' she responded, glancing out the window at her husband who seemed totally engrossed in the task of placing the burgers on a serving platter

The Burkes had continued to be a strong presence in the young family's lives. Neal and Peter had remained the closest of friends and Sara and Elizabeth had bonded years ago and shared secrets and laughter the way all best friends do. As Hope's godparents, Peter and Elizabeth were included in all the family outings and just as Neal had always been welcome in their home, it was now their turn to spend much of their time in the Caffrey home in White Plains.

Neal's burgers were a hit, as usual and as dinner wound down, talk turned to everyone's projects for the fall, including the preparations for the opening of the gallery in January.

'So, what's happening with the gallery opening?' asked Elizabeth 'Have you pinned down a date?'

Sara looked at her husband proudly. After years of generating amazing pieces of art, they had finally scraped together the money for Neal to buy his own art gallery in Manhattan. It had taken a lot of time and the right contacts but he'd managed to pull it off and in a few months, he would be the proud owner of his very own gallery showcasing his art as well as pieces from up and coming new artists, mostly students from the class he was teaching at NYU.

'Probably the third week in January' answered Neal, smiling 'The renovations are moving along nicely'

'Well, don't forget my offer to do the opening for you. It would be an honor' Elizabeth reminded him

'Oh, I didn't forget. I've started to prepare a list of guests for you to start working on' added Neal

'Mom' interrupted Hope 'can Justin and I go up to my room and watch TV?'

'I prefer you watch it in the family room, Hope' said Sara, calm but direct

Hope looked over at her dad pleadingly, hoping for a different answer

Neal just shrugged 'You heard your mom' he said

'Maybe we'll just go for a walk, then' said Hope, taking the young man's hand and heading into the house

'Mom, can I be excused?' asked Liam 'Will's meeting me at the park for some one on one'

'Sure, but be back before dark' said Sara as Liam took his leave

After dinner, the guys offered to do the dishes while Sara and Elizabeth remained out on the deck with their coffee and the last of the apple rhubarb pie Neal had baked that afternoon.

'Peter, I need your help – and if I'm going to do this, it would be much easier if we did it while you're still with the FBI' Neal said, keeping his voice down

'Is this Emily again?' asked Peter, knowing how Sara's pain and heartache affected Neal

'Yeah, it was 35 years this year and Sara was really broken up about it. It's time, Peter, it's time to get to the bottom of it' Neal looked into his partner's eyes, pleading

'Okay, I'm in' said Peter, seeing the desperation in his best friends eyes, 'We know where the trail starts but I'm warning you, it'll be cold after such a long time' he added

'It's just going to take some digging, that's all – and I can be very persistent and very persuasive when I want to be' said Neal

'Tell me about it!' said Peter knowingly 'But you've got the gallery opening in January and this could be very time consuming.'

'I can take some time off work, what about you?' said Neal

'I'm already easing into retirement – there's no problem there' answered Peter, excited at the prospect of this new adventure

'But Peter, Sara can't know. She won't want me doing this and if it's not good news, I want to be able to figure out what to do...'

'Are you asking me not to tell Elizabeth?' Peter asked, looking at his partner

'Not to tell Elizabeth what?'

They both turned to see the woman in question staring at both of them, waiting for an answer.

Neal looked at Elizabeth, then nervously glanced over at Peter

'Later...' mouthed Peter as he saw Sara come into the kitchen

But he knew he'd have to come up with something – Elizabeth was like a dog with a bone when it came to secrets and she could not easily be fooled. The fact that she had x-ray vision when it came to Peter's thoughts and intentions didn't help. Still, thought Peter, this was something he wanted to do for Neal and for Sara and he had to find a way to respect his partner's wishes.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'So, _why_ do you have to go to L.A?' asked Sara as she hastily finished putting together the kids' lunches on the kitchen counter.

Neal was sipping his coffee, looking over the news headlines on his laptop, trying to avoid her gaze. With time, it had become harder and harder to con Sara, even when he was doing it with the best of intentions. He was really out of practice and avoidance seemed like the best strategy.

'It's just this case that's been haunting Peter for the past few years and he really wants to put it to bed before he retires in December' he said, not looking up from the computer screen.

'But what's the case, exactly?' she asked, seemingly not wanting to give up

'I told you, it's top secret – some guy who's been under the radar for years and now, he's on the move.' Neal hoped Sara wouldn't scrutinize him too much – otherwise, he'd be busted.

Sara just shrugged. It was never a good time for Neal to be away but this was the first week of school and the kids would need to settle into their new routines. Raffie had a vet appointment on Wednesday and she had a big case wrapping up by the end of the week.

'Alright' she sighed 'so, what time is your flight?'

'Two o'clock' he answered standing and walking over to her. He put his arms around his wife and she looked up to meet his gaze.

'I know it's a busy week and I'm sorry...' he added as he bent down to softly kiss her lips. She let herself melt into the kiss for a few seconds enjoying the rare moment of closeness. They had been very busy lately and their intimacy had been a casualty of their hectic family life.

'I didn't even get to give you a proper send-off...' she said suggestively, lingering on his lips

'Well, we'll have to make up for that when I get back' said Neal, smiling down at her with a twinkle in his eye

WCWCWC

'So, what did you end up telling Elizabeth?' Neal asked as the two men sat at the dining room table in the Burke home

Peter had dug up the very thin file they had on the cold case involving Emily Ellis and they were poring over the very slim pickings therein.

'Some story that'll hold her for a few days' said Peter, frustrated. He hated not telling his wife everything. Unlike Neal, he had never developed the ability to re-direct or the skill of not answering a question head-on and he was married to a pit-bull who never gave up when she decided she wanted to know something.

'Thanks, Peter – I just don't want her to have to lie to Sara and it's much too early for Sara to know anything about this. I told her we were working on a case you wanted to close before retiring. Some high profile thief who's been eluding you for a few years...'

'What? Like another Neal Caffrey?' said Peter, smiling wryly

'Very funny, Peter' Neal let out as he turned his attention back to the documents in the file lying on the table.

'So' Peter continued 'This is the original missing person's report and the private investigator's statement regarding his investigation of Emily's whereabouts. He had traced her to L.A. but she kept a low profile and he never actually found her'

'Well, we know she worked for a time as a dancer at this club. Do we know if it still exists?' asked Neal

'It does, incredibly...' answered Peter 'So... that's where we start'

WCWCWC

Liam Theodore Caffrey was a quiet young man; he kept to himself, enjoyed the few friends he had and found an outlet in the many sports he excelled at. He had a strong physique for his age and was almost as tall as his dad despite his young age. He had a fair complexion which freckled in the summer and green eyes that often changed color, like his mom's. This was Liam's first day of junior high school and although he recognized many of the kids he'd known from middle school, he mostly kept to the small group of boys he called friends, including his best friend, Will Allenby.

'So, are you going to try out for the basketball team?' asked Will as they shared lunch in the large cafeteria

'I was thinking of it, you?' asked Liam

'I don't know, we'll be the new recruits and I hate being the new guy on the team' answered Will as he picked at his sandwich

'Well, we'll only be the new guys for one year...' argued Liam

WCWCWC

Neal hadn't been to Los Angeles in a very long time. The city was really buzzing and oh so different from New York especially at this time of year. Things were starting to cool off in NY whereas in LA, it was still hot – summertime hot – and the two men flagged a cab on their way out of LAX and headed to a motel in a not so desirable part of downtown LA. That neighborhood was very diverse and there were definitely some less appealing areas including the one where Neal and Peter were scheduled to begin their search.

They found 'Tito's Bar' along a strip on Bathurst Street. It certainly wasn't the only 'dancer's club' on the strip but they found it easily and prepared to make their approach. Neal was aware that they only had one shot at this and if they didn't get anywhere, they would have absolutely no other lead to follow so he was particularly nervous. Peter had convinced him that the best way was the direct approach – to flash his FBI badge and see if the bar had any records of Emily's passage there or if, heaven forbid, someone remembered her from 35 years ago. It was an extremely long shot but it was all they had.

Neal and Peter settled in at the bar and ordered beer – domestic, to Neal's chagrin – and began chatting up the bartender, a man in his thirties who wouldn't even have been born when Emily passed through there so many years ago. The place wasn't exactly hopping as it was only two in the afternoon, but sadly, there were the regulars and the dancers, of course, looking very apathetic as they performed for the customers. After a little chat, Neal and Peter were able to ascertain that the present owner, Brad Pitt (yeah, right) had owned the joint for the past twelve years. They finished their drinks and at the opportune time, Peter flashed his badge asking for an introduction to Mr. Pitt.

The two men were ushered into a back room where a couple of bouncers seemed more interested in their arrival than the owner himself, who barely looked up as they entered the small, decrepit office. There was a desk, although it would have been difficult to find under the mess of papers strewn all over it; a couple of filing cabinets; two chairs including the one Mr. Pitt was currently sprawled out on and there was a back door leading to an alley which was open and let in the wonderful odors from the garbage that was most likely kept back there.

'Mr. Pitt, I'm Peter Burke, FBI' said Peter, authoritatively as he flashed his badge 'and this is my partner, Neal Caffrey'

The man in question was probably in his fifties, balding, with a protruding paunch and with smoke billowing up from his cigarette, he squinted as he took a cursory look at Peter's badge, nodding lazily.

'We're investigating a disappearance dating back 35 years ago. This young woman' Peter said, as he flashed the photograph of Emily that Sara kept so dearly, 'was employed here back then and we would like to have a look at your employment records'

Brad Pitt looked up at Peter and gave him a most indifferent look. 'No records' he said

'Look, Brad' said Peter, as he began to insist 'I'm certain you wouldn't appreciate the local authorities leaning on you here. I noticed when I was at the bar that your liquor license expired last April... I'm sure you wouldn't want a visit from the California Liquor Board'

Peter let the threat hang in the air and Neal became increasingly uneasy as he noticed the bouncers step forward making their guns visible to the two uninvited guests.

'Look, agent _Burton_, is it? I doubt very much your FBI New York badge has any clout here on the west coast and frankly, you are an unwelcome guest in my establishment so I respectfully ask you to leave' he said, leering at Peter.

'Actually, it's _Burke_ and your cooperation would be most appreciated' Peter said, implying that some form of payment might be forthcoming.

Brad Pitt made the slightest of moves with his head and before Neal and Peter knew what hit them, they were each grabbed by one of the bouncers and unceremoniously pushed out the open door leading to the alley as the door was slammed shut behind them.

They barely had time to react to the situation as they both landed firmly on their asses onto the hot asphalt with the sun blinding them and their pride wounded.

They heard a small snicker nearby as they began the humiliating job of getting up and dusting themselves off. Neither one of them was as young and agile as they used to be and Peter was briefly reminded of why he was finally retiring at the ripe old age of 64.

They looked up into the sun and saw a big bear of a man sitting on a chair, puffing away on a cigarette. He had dark, leathered skin showing every one of his many years as he smiled down at them.

'So, you boys looking for Emily Ellis, huh?' he said as the men finally stood and tried to regain their composure

'You knew Emily?' asked Neal, suddenly interested

'I remember Emily. She was one of the good ones. But she didn't go by that name for very long, though. She changed it to Sadie, Sadie Johnson' said the man, looking off in the distance

Peter and Neal exchanged glances. Was this guy for real? Was he having a go at them?

'I've worked here for 42 years' said the man, putting out his hand 'Gus Brown'

'Gus, I'm Neal Caffrey and this is Peter Burke'

'I heard. I heard everything you said in there. Is Emily in some sort of trouble?' asked Gus, seemingly concerned

'She's my sister-in-law' said Neal, figuring it was best to go with the real story. This guy seemed genuinely to care about Emily.

'Emily disappeared 35 years ago and my wife never heard from her again. I'm trying to find her and finally bring her home' Neal admitted, unsure why all of a sudden he trusted this guy – he felt he had nothing to lose.

'How long was she here?' asked Peter

'I don't know – two, three years maybe. She finally left with this no-gooder she fell for. He used to hang around here all the time and Emily fell for him. She left town with him'

'Do you know where they were headed when they left?' asked Neal, not wanting to get his hopes up

'I have no idea...' said Gus 'but she did write me a couple of times, postcards. As a matter of fact, I think I still have them'

Neal's eyes lit up and he looked over at Peter. He could tell Peter was trying to decide if this guy was for real or if he was scamming them.

'Look, I live right upstairs. I could have a look and see if I still have the postcards' said Gus, as he struggled to stand, his large frame blocking the sun

'That'd be great!' said Neal, enthusiastically

Peter put his hand to his hip and felt the reassuring presence of his gun and nodded to Neal.

Gus led the way and the men followed him up a rather rusty fire escape that snaked along the back of the building.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

'Hope, I could really use your help with Raffie this afternoon' Sara was saying as her daughter finished up the English muffin on her plate

'You know how he gets at the vet's – it's always easier when there are two of us' she added

'Sure. I can be back by four; does that work?' asked Hope

'Perfect!' answered Sara, visibly relieved. She was feeling flustered; she had a huge day ahead of her at the office. She had a briefing at nine with members of her team, followed by a meeting with her boss and finally, she had to go into the field with one of the investigators to wrap up one of their high profile cases.

'When's Dad coming home, anyway?' asked Hope 'I thought he was coming to my exhibition at the Arts Centre on Friday night'

'Oh, he is, he is, honey, don't worry. He'll probably call again tonight and I'll remind him, okay?'

said Sara, looking fondly at her daughter. Hope was developing into quite an amazing artist. At an early age, she had taken a particular liking to the Impressionists, a passion she shared with her dad. Aware of the struggle he'd had to finally find his way as an artist, Neal had encouraged her to produce some original art from the get go and Hope had not disappointed. She had a genuine, unique view of the world and her self confidence shone through her work to her dad's pleasure and pride.

'So, how are things with Justin? I haven't seen him around for a few days' said Sara, trying not to pry, yet wanting to know

'Oh, we broke up' answered Hope, matter of factly 'I felt like he was suffocating me. I mean, I like him a lot but I have other interests too, you know...'

'I do know' said Sara, smiling and touching Hope's cheek gently. She was constantly amazed at how level headed their daughter was – she had all of Neal's warmth and spontaneity but it was tempered by her mom's straightforward approach to life which in fact, was the very best of both worlds. Once again, Sara reflected on the wonderful path life had opened up for her all those years ago and she smiled as she hugged her daughter.

WCWCWC

It was a hot and sticky day only made worse by the sizzling asphalt and the pounding, unrelenting sun. Being in California would have been great if they'd been sitting at the beach but downtown LA was sweltering and suffocating, especially in this neighborhood which seemed to be rife with human misery and despair.

The stairway creaked under the bulk of the large man and Neal followed unsure if the fire escape could withstand their combined weight. Peter brought up the rear, cautious yet oddly confident. His radar was usually pretty reliable and it had not been buzzing as they spoke with the old man.

Once upstairs, he let them into his tiny dwelling, a studio apartment with no separate room for sleeping. The place was stifling from the heat and Neal wondered how someone lived in those conditions. Even with the sparse furnishings, the room looked crowded and one quick look around confirmed that this man had lived in squalor most of his life and yet he seemed to have maintained a happy heart and faith in people.

'So, what do you do at the club?' asked Peter, trying to get a handle on the man's motivations

'I clean, mostly; sometimes I help with the muscle if they're short-handed. But Pitt's the worse of a long line of owners I've worked for over the years and there's no love lost between us, that's for sure' said Gus as he began to move around the small space.

'Oh, here it is' he said as he pulled out a small wooden box from the lone bookshelf lining the wall

He opened the box and Neal could see a variety of items including a ring, some ticket stubs, some letters and finally a few postcards buried at the bottom of the box. He suddenly realized that the box the large hands were holding probably contained what he held most dear in his life and he was saddened by that realization. He was suddenly aware, once again, of how lucky he had been to walk away from the abyss of a life of crime and how grateful he was for the family and friends who had stood by him and supported him while he got his life together. He briefly glanced at Peter, the man who had the most faith in him over the years and was brought back to reality as the old man spoke.

'Emily was always very nice to me' said Gus 'not all the girls are. Most of them think they're on the way to fame and fortune and they don't give guys like me the time of day. But Emily, she was a kind soul. She was troubled though, and she fell in with this guy who used to hang around here – Paul Baxter – he was a total jerk and not nice to her at all. He was a dealer and Emily started doing drugs and she ended up following him out of town. I always wondered if she made anything of herself'

He pulled out a couple of postcards and handed them over to Neal. They were simple short little messages wishing Gus all the best and telling him she was okay. But most importantly, the two postcards had a return address – the same on both postcards: an address in San Diego which Neal jotted down as he prepared to hand them back over to Gus.

Neal observed the man and was suddenly aware, once again, of the loneliness that must be his life. If Gus could remember a kind soul from thirty five years ago, it must certainly be because he hadn't had much in the way of kindness in his life.

'Why don't you jot down your address for me' said Neal, looking at the old man's face 'and I can give you some news if we finally catch up with her'

It seemed like the least he could do, he thought. He toyed with the idea of slipping the old man some cash but he was afraid of insulting him and finally thought better of it.

As Neal looked up, he noticed that the man was smiling for the first time as he nodded.

'That would be great' he said finally, shaking Neal's hand

WCWCWC

Neal lay on the bed in the decrepit motel they were staying at and went over the events of the day. It was a very promising start to their search, he thought, and for the umpteenth time, he hoped he was doing the right thing and that this adventure wouldn't lead to heartbreak for Sara. He had put the plan into action but he had no control over the outcome and once they knew for sure one way or the other, he would have no choice but to come clean with his wife. He was suddenly overcome with thoughts of her, her laughter, her warmth, the feel of her in his arms and the years of memories they had together as a couple and now as a family.

'I'll be back' said Peter, snapping Neal out of his reverie 'I'm going to go call El'. Peter stepped into the bathroom for some privacy and left his partner with his thoughts.

Neal picked up his phone and dialed the all too familiar number that was home.

'Hi Repo' he said as she answered and just the sound of her voice was enough to bring a smile to his lips

She sensed sadness – or at least emotion – in his voice 'Hi. You haven't called me that in a while' she answered 'You okay? You sound a little down.'

'I'm fine. I just miss you. They've got us staying in this fleabag motel and I miss our cozy bed and holding you in my arms before I fall asleep' said Neal, earnestly

'Caffrey, you're such a romantic. You always know what I want to hear' she said, half-joking as she lay on their bed, making herself comfortable. It had been a bitch of a day and she had just stepped out of her shoes and was finally letting herself relax.

'I don't know if it's what you want to hear, but it's what I'm feeling...' he said, letting his voice trail

'Really? Did you call me so you could woo me over the phone?' said Sara, smiling despite herself

'What? Can't a guy miss his wife? Just because we've been married for sixteen years doesn't mean I don't miss you when we're apart'

'Where's Peter? I hope he's not listening to this dribble!' said Sara and he could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke

'He's in the other room, probably saying the exact same things to _his_ wife' said Neal, smiling into the phone. 'So, anything new on the home front?'

'Well, Raffie had his yearly vaccinations today so he's unusually quiet, lying here on the bed - '

'Sara! We said we wouldn't let the dog up on our bed' Neal protested

'Well, I have to stay warm somehow with my husband on the other side of the country' she said as she gently ran her hand over the dog's fur

'Oh, so we're back to that? You miss me?' asked Neal, stretching out and beginning to relax

'Neal, you know I miss you even when I'm away from you for just a few hours...'

'Now, _you're _playing _me_, woman' said Neal, laughing

'By the way, you didn't forget about Hope's exhibition on Friday, did you?' she asked

'Of course not!' he said, having totally forgotten. 'We're gonna wrap up here by Friday morning so tell her I'll be there in plenty of time to gloat'

'Alright. Love you, Caffrey' she said quietly, suddenly missing him even more

'Love you more, Repo' he answered as he heard the door to the bathroom open and saw Peter emerge

'So, Friday...' he repeated, softly

'Okay, bye' she said languorously, hanging up

'You guys are so pathetic even when Dad's not here!' said Liam rolling his eyes as he walked by on the way to his bedroom.

Yes, we are, thought Sara, smiling to herself, yes we are.

Neal glanced up at Peter as he stood by the bed, looking down at him.

'So, how's Elizabeth?' asked Neal, turning in the bed to face his friend

'Good. Anxious for us to get back. And Sara?'

'Same. I guess our cover is good for now' said Neal

'Yeah, El didn't ask for many details. That was an amazing stroke of luck today, wasn't it? I hope this luck holds out in San Diego' added Peter, taking a seat across from Neal on the other bed

'I booked us a car up the street. We can pick it up at 9:00 tomorrow morning. It's about a two hour drive so that'll give us all day to snoop around. How do you think we should do this?' asked Neal, intently

'Well, we can certainly hit the address we got from Gus but what are the chances of lightning striking twice and someone remembering Emily from over 30 years ago. We can always try the local PD – this guy or even Emily could have a rap sheet. And then there's that alias we got for Emily – we could try that'

Neal turned on the lumpy mattress trying to get more comfortable 'Yeah, we were pretty lucky today. I hope our luck holds out... I have a good feeling about this, Peter' said Neal, the eternal optimist

Peter just smiled at his friend. He knew there were so many different ways this could play out and the trail could end suddenly with devastating news at any time. Emily could be dead – especially if she ran with a rough crowd. She would be in her mid-fifties by now and nobody with the type of lifestyle Gus had described lived to a ripe old age. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Neal's optimism was infectious and he sincerely hoped that this story would have a happy ending.

'So, another big day of us ahead tomorrow. You want to go out and grab something to eat?' he asked, looking at his partner

'Let's do it' said Neal

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The boys were up bright and early despite a very short night's sleep on very lumpy mattresses. They were anxious to get on the road and Neal wanted to make sure to be on a flight back to NY by noon the next day. They grabbed some coffee and muffins at a fast food place nearby and were on the road to San Diego by 9:15, discussing strategy and contingency plans as they drove.

They rolled into the city by 11:30 and decided to head over directly to the address that Gus had provided them with: 376 Elm Street in the Gaslamp Quarter of the city. The area was mostly industrial, located near the waterfront and it was a mixture of old, barely standing buildings and newer upstarts. They cruised up and down the area and it didn't take long for them to figure out that whatever apartment dwelling had existed at 376 Elm Street was no longer there.

'Strike one' said Peter as they drove up the street for the third time

'So, do you have any contacts at SDPD?' asked Neal, hopefully

'As a matter of fact, last I heard one of my colleagues from Quantico was working for the police department here. Of course, he's my age so he may be retired but let's look him up' said Peter as he headed west back towards the mainland.

It wasn't difficult to find a fellow lawman when you had the type of contacts Peter Burke had and by 1:30, they were sitting across from Captain Mark Donaldson and he and Peter were exchanging stories about their glory days at the academy. They'd had a passing friendship at the time, and despite not keeping in touch over the years, they still had fond memories of the many experiences they'd shared while training at Quantico.

'So, as much as I'd like to think you two came all this way to reminisce, I have a feeling you're here about something else' said Mark, finally

'Nothing gets past you, Captain Donaldson' said Peter, grinning 'We're on a very old cold case, trying to locate a woman who disappeared from the LA area about 32 years ago'

Mark looked at Peter questioningly 'And this woman is important because...'

'She's Neal's sister-in-law. She disappeared when she was sixteen and made her way to the west coast; fell in with a bad crowd. Neal's wife has never gotten over it so we're trying to get to the bottom of it – or at least giving it our best shot' said Peter by way of explanation

'So, what do you know about her?' asked the captain

'Her name is Emily Ellis, but she had an alias – Sadie Johnson. She would have come to San Diego about 32 years ago from LA and she was living with a man named Paul Baxter, a drug runner' explained Peter

'Well, let's start there, then' said Mark as he turned to his computer screen

Within two minutes, he was able to ascertain that, although they didn't have anything on Emily Ellis, they did have one hit on Sadie Johnson. Paul Baxter, on the other hand, had a lengthy rap sheet but he'd fallen off their radar more than twenty years before so Mark excused himself to go dig up some good old paper records in the department's morgue for dead files.

'Thank God for technology' commented Neal as he stood up to stretch

'Well, let's hope San Diego is good at keeping old records' said Peter just as Mark returned carrying a thick file in his hands

'You're in luck, gentlemen. This guy was on our radar for a long time and he left a long trail with us' he said as he began thumbing through the file for pertinent information.

By the time Neal and Peter left his office, they had four different addresses for Paul Baxter in the San Diego area and, starting with the first one, they hit the pavement.

WCWCWC

Liam had a bad case of the jitters. Although he had played for the basketball team, the volleyball team and the soccer team at his middle school and despite the fact that he had been the high scorer for the intramural basketball league for the whole of the White Plains district, he was having trouble keeping his nerves in check as he prepared for his first junior high tryout. He had already downed two bottles of water but he was still feeling thirsty and truth be told he was feeling a little dizzy. He spotted his buddy, Will, coming into the gym and jogged over to meet him.

'You up for this?' he asked Will as he adjusted the too large jersey they had given him for the tryout

'I guess' said Will, hesitant

They were interrupted by the coach's whistle calling all new recruits to the bench for instructions.

WCWCWC

The first place Neal and Peter hit was in a very dilapidated and economically deprived area of town as evidenced by the number of pay day loan places and the decrepit state of the buildings nearby. They found 148 Flora easily enough; it was a three floor walk-up with a rickety set of stairs leading to the front door. Peter knocked on the apartment door with the word 'Sprtendnt' on it – the other letters having seemingly fallen off and never been replaced. He and Neal shared a wayward glance as they waited for the occupant to come to the door.

Finally, a man they guessed to be in his mid to late forties appeared; he was a large man, Latino, with an oversized mustache and a booming voice to match.

'What do you want?' he bellowed as he opened the door. The men had obviously disturbed his beauty sleep.

'We were wondering if you could help us?' asked Peter, flashing his FBI badge

'I know nothing' the man said as he prepared to close the door

Peter took a tentative step forward to keep him from closing the door. 'Sir, we're just gathering some information on someone who lived here several years back, a Mr. Paul Baxter'

'Don't know him' the man said, again attempting to close the door

'Do you have residents who have lived here for over twenty, twenty five years?' Peter asked, in a last ditch effort

'Look around, buddy. Would _you_ stay around here any longer than you had to?' asked the man gruffly as he finally succeeded in slamming the door in their faces

'Strike two' mumbled Peter, under his breath

The second address they'd been given was a few blocks over. According to the records, this was also the address they had for Sadie Johnson on her one and only arrest for drug possession. The place looked marginally better, a little cleaner and there were actually flower beds outside one of the apartments in the building. This time, they had to buzz in to the superintendent to be let in. After several tries, they were just about to give up when a young woman came up the steps and took out her key, ostensibly to let herself into the building. She eyed Neal and Peter suspiciously but looking at the way they were dressed, she seemed to conclude that they were not an immediate threat.

'Hi' said Peter as he took out his badge once more. 'Do you live here?' he asked as the woman nodded

'We're looking for someone who lived here about thirty or so years ago' added Neal, smiling his winning smile, hoping the woman would relax enough to talk

'I've only lived here since last May' said the woman meekly

'What about the superintendent?' asked Peter

'Oh, Mrs. Moore? She's been here forever!' said the woman, visibly relaxing

'And is Mrs. Moore in right now?' asked Peter

'No, she goes to the senior centre every Thursday afternoon for her game of gin rummy. She won't be back until dinner' said the woman

Peter pulled out one of his business cards and handed it to the woman. 'Do you think you could ask her to call me when she gets in? We're looking for this woman' he said as he jotted Emily's name on the back of his business card.

'Sure, I can do that' said the young woman as she finally let herself in and closed the door behind her.

'Strike three?' Peter wondered

The last two addresses were also dead ends and Peter and Neal decided they should start looking for a place to stay for the night. It was well past 8:00 and they were hungry and tired.

They decided to spring for accommodations that were slightly an upgrade from their place in LA and hunkered down at the local Howard Johnson having grabbed some take-out Mexican food for dinner. Neal was feeling demoralized and downtrodden. He didn't want to believe they had finally come to the end of the line already, a mere 48 hours after they' begun their search. They ate in silence, each one deep in thought as to their next steps in light of the lack of information the day had produced.

Halfway through his enchilada, Peter's phone rang and he looked up at Neal.

'Must be El' he said, putting down his dinner and heading to a corner of the room to take the call. Of course, the room being what it was, it did not afford much privacy and Neal's ears perked up as he heard Peter's voice.

'Mrs. Moore? Of course, thank you so much for calling back' Peter looked excitedly at Neal as he moved back to where Neal was sitting

'You _do _remember Emily?' Peter was saying 'Yes, you're right it was a very long time ago'

'Ma'am, I'm travelling with Emily's brother-in-law. Would it be okay if we stopped by to see you and talk with you? We could be over in about 30 minutes'

Neal was looking over at Peter with a twinkle in his eyes, unable to believe their luck.

'Oh, I see. Yes, I understand. Tomorrow morning would be fine. Around 9, then? Thank you Mrs. Moore. We look forward to meeting you.'

Peter looked over at Neal, eyes bright and smiling 'Do you believe that?' he said as he put away his phone

'Couldn't she see us tonight?' asked Neal, somewhat disappointed

'I didn't want to push it, Neal. She's obviously very elderly and she seemed a bit tentative. I didn't want to push her over the edge' Peter admitted

'Yeah, of course. I'm just really anxious to hear what she has to say' said Neal, realizing this was the better solution

'Did you bring some of the family photos like we discussed?' asked Peter

'Yeah, I've got stuff from our holidays and some of Sara and the kids' said Neal as he began to go through his suitcase looking for the said photographs

'Good, I have a feeling Mrs. Moore knew Emily more than just in passing. And I think she might react positively to seeing Emily's family and how anxious they are to be reunited with her' Peter offered

Despite the more comfortable accommodations, Neal was having trouble settling down as he lay on the bed. He kept running over things in his head, wondering if this woman would be able to give them any information about where Emily went when she finally left San Diego – that was,_ if_ she ever left.

He wanted to talk to Sara but he was afraid his emotions would seep into the conversation and he didn't want to have to explain why he was so excited about a routine investigation. He finally gave up at around three in the morning, west coast time, knowing Sara would be up any time now and he opted to text her, keeping the emotions out of it.

Neal: Hey, good night's sleep?

Sara: Not bad, miss you

Neal: Me too. Upgraded to a Howard Johnson but still not the same without you in my arms

Sara: I love it when you talk dirty...

Neal: I'll let you know when my flight comes in later today

Sara: Okay, get some sleep, Caffrey!

Neal: Love you

Sara: xx

Afterwards, feeling more relaxed, Neal finally settled in for a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Neal was dreaming of Raffie, sleeping on their bed. He kept kicking him off but the dog kept re-appearing and Neal was getting really pissed off. He finally gave the animal one last good kick.

'Hey, watch it buddy!' said Peter, waking Neal as he spoke. He'd been sitting on the edge of Neal's bed for the past few minutes trying to rouse him from what looked like a really deep sleep.

'Oh, sorry, I guess I was dreaming' said Neal as he rubbed his eyes and snuck a peek at clock on the bedside table. It was already 8:00 and he sat up suddenly as he remembered their meeting in an hour.

'You'd better jump in the shower. It'll take us at least half an hour to get over to Mrs. Moore's place in rush hour traffic' warned Peter standing and rubbing his sore backside 'You still have a hell of a kick there, Jackie Chan!'

Neal scoffed and got up instantly, making his way to the washroom.

'What time is our flight?' he called out to Peter over the running water.

'Eleven, so we have no time to lose' answered Peter

'Shit, that's gonna be tight' said Neal 'I'm supposed to be at Hope's art exhibition tonight and it starts at seven thirty. Let's see' he continued as he did the mental math for the time change between the two coasts 'we won't be back until eight NY time... I'm going to have some serious grovelling to do'

He reappeared smartly dressed and ready to leave in record time and they headed out once more to continue their investigation feeling somewhat more confident than the night before.

As it turned out, Mrs. Moore welcomed them more like long lost relatives than the strangers they were to her. They wondered how such an innocent looking old lady could remain safe and secure in this kind of neighborhood but before long, they found that Mrs. Moore was tough as nails despite her heart of gold.

'Let me get you some tea' she said, her voice trembling as the men came into her apartment. The dwelling was the polar opposite of what one might imagine when looking from the outside – a lovely little two bedroom apartment with antique furniture and dozens of pictures of friends and family displayed all over the place. She lived with her nephew, Fred, who was the de facto superintendent although she obviously ruled the roost.

Peter and Neal looked at each other, unable to keep from smiling. She was a doodle – a real character – and it was going to be difficult to wrap this all up within an hour.

Mrs. Moore returned with tea and crumpets and prepared to serve the two men as she spoke: 'I remember Emily very well. She lived here for five years all together. Two with that no good what's his name and then, she stayed on in 3B for another three years after that. She was a lovely young woman, although she had her demons. But by the time she left, she was as clean as a whistle and had a bright future ahead of her' said Mrs. Moore as she poured them each a cup of tea. She stood up unsteadily and walked over to the mantle returning with a framed photograph in her hands.

'Here she is, on the day she left' she said, handing over the framed picture to Neal. He could see a much younger Mrs. Moore with her arm around a young woman's shoulders and he had to do a double take for the resemblance to Sara. He smiled and passed the frame over to Peter.

Neal pulled out a picture of Sara and the children and showed it to the landlady. 'This is Emily's sister Sara and these are our two children, Hope and Liam. My wife was twelve years old when Emily left unexpectedly at sixteen and she never quite got over it' said Neal looking into Mrs. Moore's eyes 'I'm hoping to find her and bring about a reconciliation – if Emily agrees, of course'

'Ah, that's a lovely story' said the woman

'But the trail stops here' added Peter 'Do you know where she was headed when she finally left here?'

'Of course, she had scraped up enough money to go to school. It was her dream to become a teacher and she had enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Education at Arizona State University. She kept in touch for the first little while but you know...' she said wistfully '...people drift apart. But she was doing well and she was looking forward to graduating and taking a job as an elementary school teacher'

Neal and Peter were having a lovely time and would have lingered much longer but they were painfully aware of the clock ticking. They had just enough of a window to make it to the airport and hop the plane back to the east coast so they bid Mrs. Moore adieu, promising to stay in touch and letting her know how their search turned out.

Neal was ecstatic that their first foray had been so productive. They were no longer looking for someone who had disappeared 35 years ago, they had now trimmed that down to 27 years and the closer in time they got, the better the chances of people remembering any encounter they might have had with Emily.

He texted Sara to let her know he was on his way, warning that he would be arriving late and asking her to apologize to Hope. He would make his way to the exhibition directly from the airport, he promised, and he would make it up to Hope when he got there.

WCWCWC

Friday night usually meant dinner out for the Caffrey family and tonight was no exception. Except it was supposed to be a celebratory meal for Hope's exhibition and an important member of the family had yet to make an appearance.

'Daddy just texted again' said Sara, putting away her phone 'Their plane is on schedule, so he should be at the exhibition by 8:30 or so. He apologizes again' she said looking at Hope

'Mom, it's okay. It's his job; I know he'll be there as soon as he can' said Hope

Sara couldn't help but marvel at her daughter's poise and calm. She, herself, was seething. She hated when Neal bit off more than he could chew and others suffered the consequences. For all his virtues, Neal was still an impulsive and impetuous person and it still pushed her buttons after all these years. His heart was always in the right place but he still had issues with reining in his impulses and at times like these, this particular trait of his really rubbed her the wrong way. She took a deep breath; no sense ruining the dinner for everyone with her foul mood. If Hope, who was the injured party, could accept Neal's shortcomings in this situation, surely she should be able to.

'So, any news on the tryouts?' she asked Liam who was busy digging into his burger and fries

'Yeah, I made the team' he said, unceremoniously

'That's fantastic, honey!' said Sara 'Why didn't you tell me?'

He shrugged, seemingly out of sorts. He was more of the strong silent type anyway and being dragged to his sister's art exhibition was not his idea of a fun Friday night, not when there was a football game on TV.

'So, Hope, how many of your pieces are showing?' asked her mom, keeping the conversation going. The Arts Centre was a local art gallery which showcased up and coming artists and every year they had a showing of exceptional student's works. High school students from across the New York area were invited to compete for one of three spots and the school district used the exhibition as a means to fundraise for its arts program.

'Well, there were three of us chosen for the exhibit and we each got to select six pieces' answered Hope as she took a sip of her drink

'I picked two that I painted at the cottage – you know the one with the loons and the other one of you reading in that green Adirondack chair' she continued

'Oh, that's a lovely one. I can't wait to see. What else?' asked Sara

'Well, I picked that sculpture from last year – you know the one I won that prize for?' Sara nodded, enthusiastically. 'And a portrait of Justin I don't think you've ever seen. And then there's that still life I really like from last year and I can't remember the last one...'

'Wow, this is great exposure, honey. Dad and I are so proud of you!' Sara said, finally. 'And you, young man... Dad'll be excited to hear you made the basketball team. When do the games start?'

'There's one next Tuesday at our school. Starts at 4:00' he said, smiling at his mom

'I'll be there, with bells on' countered Sara

The plane landed at JFK right on time but getting out of the airport was always a bear and Neal was acutely aware of the time. He was looking forward to seeing Sara and the kids and he was excited about Hope's role in the exhibition. He had helped her pick the pieces she had presented to the selection committee and he had encouraged her to submit a variety of styles and mediums. She had the uncanny ability of bringing subtlety to all her pieces, leaving the audience to interpret while gently leading them to where she wanted them to go.

He had forgotten to ask about Liam's tryout and he made a mental note to ask as soon as he got in. He could just imagine his son at the exhibition, biding his time, waiting for the moment when he could get back home to whatever game was on TV tonight. With Hope, all the activity was visceral, happening inside her head and her gut whereas Liam was kinetic, needing to move in order to feel fully self-actualized. They couldn't be more different and yet, they were both his children and he loved them both more than anything.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Arts Centre at 8:40 and Neal ran in as fast as his 51 year old legs would carry him. He spotted Sara chatting with the gallery owner and made his way to them as he adjusted his suit which was a little worse for wear from sitting on an airplane for almost six hours.

'Hi honey' he called as he got closer. Sara's eyes met his and although she was smiling, he knew she was less than thrilled with his late arrival.

'Hi' she said, kissing him 'You made it'

'Hi Jonathan' Neal said, shaking the gallery owner's hand 'Another great success, I see'

'Yes, and congratulations on having your daughter's work highlighted this year. She's a very talented artist' said the young man, excusing himself to greet his other guests

'So...' said Neal, expecting Sara's wrath.

'You okay?' she asked. He looked less than his usual impeccably put together self, not like Neal at all and she felt bad for those nasty thoughts she'd had at dinner.

'Yeah, I'm sorry. Trying to squeeze too much into my day and the damn time change...' he began

'Dad!' Neal looked up to see Hope walking over to him

'Hey, sweet pea! You look amazing!' Hope was wearing a beautiful blue dress that he had never seen before and although her coloring was all his, every once in a while he would spot Sara in the way she moved and carried herself – that self-assuredness and confidence that he still found so attractive in her mother was obvious in their daughter too.

'So, are you going to take me around and show me your pieces?' asked Neal, putting out his arm for her to lace hers into. Sara looked on approvingly and all was forgiven.

The exhibition ended at close to eleven o'clock and the foursome headed home. Despite the late hour, Neal sat with Liam to watch the last quarter of the football game and Liam told his dad all about the tryouts and opening game on the following week. Sara sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea and smiled at the lively exchange between father and son. Neal could fit into both their worlds so seamlessly and she absolutely loved that about him.

She made her way to the stairs as she gave her husband a quick wink – hopefully he had saved some of that quality time for her...

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Neal was awakened by the soft rustle of sheets as Sara moved in the bed next to him and it took him a moment to remember where he was and recall the events of the last 24 hours. After a couple of nights away, he was relieved to find he was waking up in his own bed and more importantly, next to his beautiful wife. He had finally made it to bed just past midnight and despite Neal's best efforts at cuddling up to her, Sara was exhausted and she had nodded off during the preliminaries.

He cosied up to his wife, who had her back to him and he shifted his hips so he could get nice and close as he let his arm encircle her waist. She moaned softly as she felt him against her and he took that as encouragement and pulled her in even closer.

'Good morning' he whispered into her hair as she turned to face him

'Hi' she said with a naughty smile on her lips.

'Sorry about last night. I _did_ enjoy the first round but I guess I ran out of gas just when it was getting interesting' Sara said in a very sultry and soft voice

Neal brushed Sara's hair out of her face and planted a kiss on her lips.

'That's okay. You're awake _now _– that's all that matters' he murmured, as he lingered on her lips and began the trajectory from her neck to the back of her ear – always a winning move.

Sara snaked her arms around his waist and lifted her leg to pull him closer; Neal didn't need any more encouragement than that and he began to feel his body responding as she lovingly whispered his name in his ear. Having this dishevelled and very sexy woman lying next to him worked magic every time; she was his wife, he marvelled, and she was even more beautiful than she was when he first met her in her twenties. Her confidence and self-assuredness were still a major turn-on for Neal and the few age lines around her eyes made her even sexier. He never got enough of her warm body melting into his and he proceeded to make amends to his beautiful wife, making up for lost time after a hectic week for both of them.

Their connection was effortless and fulfilling as always and afterwards, Sara purred as she stretched on the bed. Neal looked at her relaxed face and thought back to the events of the past week, reminding himself that if he could pull this mission off, he would make Sara so very happy – and that, in turn, would make him a very happy man.

Saturday morning meant a hearty breakfast for the entire clan, compliments of Neal. The kids might be up and about before their parents but they always waited patiently for their dad to get up and make bacon, eggs and French toast for them – and he never disappointed. .

Neal knew that, before long, he and Peter would have to take another road trip but he thought the time wasn't quite right to bring that up. Sara had been a good sport about not questioning the details of his California getaway but if he brought up another trip now, she would surely demand more information.

They had been invited to the Burkes for dinner – without the kids, for a change – and they were looking forward to one of Elizabeth's home cooked meals while they discussed plans for the gallery as well as Elizabeth's role in coordinating the opening.

'So' said Elizabeth as she placed the last of the serving bowls on the table 'I want to hear all about what's going on with the art gallery'

'Well, not much this past week with our little trip out west' said Neal with a sideways glance to Peter 'but this coming week, I'm meeting the contractor and we're going to finalize colors and design elements for the first floor' added Neal, eyes sparkling

Whenever he talked about the gallery and its upcoming opening, Sara could instantly see the excitement dancing in his eyes. This dream had been simmering for many years and finally, they had made it come true. The building they had purchased was located directly in the Chelsea art district of Manhattan, on West 27th Street – quite a coup considering the lack of availability of space. The building had originally been a clothing store, a mere 1200 square feet on two floors. It had required a fair bit of renovating but now, they were down to the more esthetic elements of the restoration and Neal had a very clear vision of what he wanted for _his_ gallery.

Although this was obviously a chance for Neal to display the fruits of his labor, he definitely saw this more as an opportunity for Hope's work to be seen by the art community and the public in general. He knew, without a doubt, that if this is what Hope wanted, she could have a brilliant career as an artist and he and Sara had begun to put some serious money away for her to attend an excellent art program when she graduated from high school in two years. She had mentioned on more than one occasion the first-rate program at Carnegie Mellon and that meant a considerable investment... Although the gallery was a money pit for the time being, they knew that if they followed their carefully crafted business plan, they could make a go of it and turn a profit within two years.

'Well, what about the budget for the opening? Did you firm up the numbers?' asked Elizabeth while she tucked into the pork roast she had just served

Neal looked over at Sara. They had begun to discuss numbers and they had agreed they didn't want to blow too much money on the opening itself, preferring to invest in the renovation and elements of the gallery that would have a positive long term effect.

'Elizabeth, I want to keep the guest list to under 100. Money's tight and I'd rather invest it in the place itself' Neal said tentatively

'That sounds more than reasonable, and Neal, don't worry, we don't have to go with caviar and shrimp, you know. We can do something a little more modest' said Elizabeth attempting to reassure him.

Neal smiled, somewhat relieved. Elizabeth was an incredible event planner but he knew all too well that she could easily get carried away. He had seen her on dozens of projects over the past twenty years, not least of which had been their wedding. It had begun as a simple affair but had blossomed into a major event – not that either one of them had complained. It had been an amazing day they would never forget.

'We were wondering about the possibility of an afternoon opening.' added Sara 'A little more family oriented. You know, all these art people, they have families too and that's more reflective of the vision we have for the gallery'

Sara was Neal's biggest fan and neither one of them ever made an important decision without consulting the other, especially when their pooled resources were involved. They had been discussing ideas for weeks – their vision for the gallery was very down to earth. They had both been involved in the world of art their whole lives – in one way or another – and they felt that art should appeal to the masses and not be perceived as elite and out of reach for the general population. They hoped that their new gallery would reflect that in its candour and straightforwardness.

'Let me run with that' said Elizabeth 'and I'll get back to you with a few ideas'

Peter and Neal had been dying to have a little time by themselves to talk about the next steps in their investigation and after dinner, Peter suggested they move to his home office to discuss their current case while the ladies cleaned up.

'So' asked Neal 'you get any flack from Elizabeth?'

'None, you?' retorted Peter

For two middle-aged men, they sure worried a lot about what their wives thought. Both men had learned a long time ago that, in most cases, it was better to come clean and admit what they were up to. This lesson had been particularly difficult for Neal who had spent a good part of his adult life perfecting ways to deflect the truth and projecting an image of charm and confidence. Being married to Sara Ellis for fifteen years had set him straight on that as he learned to appreciate the benefits of transparency and honesty.

'No, Sara's been great. It's almost like they know what we're doing...' said Neal suddenly feeling guilty – of what he wasn't sure

'Well, I doubt that, but they have been married to us for a long time and they know that when it comes to cases we work on, we can't always tell them everything' Peter added, somewhat relieved

'So, what's our next step?' asked Neal

'Well, I thought we could put in a formal request to the University of Arizona and get the transcripts from Emily's time there. That way, we can get some details, find out if she graduated and maybe even where she went from there' suggested Peter

'Do you want to do that through official channels?' asked Neal, uncertain

'I think we'll get much better cooperation that way. Then, with any luck, we can find out where she went when she graduated – if she graduated, that is. Some states actually have lists of certified teachers – we might even be able to find out where she taught – if she got a job teaching' Peter added

Neal looked at Peter, his eyes sparkling. He could feel that they were getting closer to finding out what happened to Emily. He just hoped that all this wasn't going to end badly with them finding out she had passed away at some point.

Monday morning meant back to school for the kids and back to work for Sara. Neal had taken the following two weeks off from Johns and Finch and was working on moving things ahead for the gallery opening. He also knew that he and Peter might have to hit the road again at any time. Now that he had started this search, he wasn't about to let it go and he was adamant that he was going to follow the scent all the way to the bitter end.

'Jake, nice to see you again' said Neal as he put out his hand to welcome his contractor

'Neal, hi! I'd like you to meet Nadia, the designer I told you about. She would love to run a few ideas by you' said the contractor

'Sounds great' said Neal, introducing himself.

The young woman was in her early twenties and she smiled provocatively at Neal as she took his outstretched hand. Neal could tell she was flirting with him and of course, he hadn't completely lost his ability to turn on the charm as long as limits were clearly established. Although he had graying temples and a few crow's feet, he still had the looks and charisma he'd always had and women reacted accordingly. The young woman gently touched his arm and laughed coquettishly as she shared some preliminary ideas for the different areas of the gallery. Neal smiled at her, confident yet reserved and he thought that despite her slightly inappropriate demeanour, she appeared to be a very perceptive designer and he liked what she had to say.

The first floor of the gallery was meant to house short term exhibitions – no more than a month at a time – and provide as many budding artists as possible with exposure they would normally not have. Neal would profit from their names being associated with his gallery and of course, he would take a cut from any sales they made – the lesser known the artist, the bigger the cut.

The top floor, which was somewhat smaller, was designed to highlight more permanent exhibitions - some of Neal's work and plenty of pieces from Hope which he hoped would provide the spotlight she so richly deserved.

After exchanging a few design ideas, they parted ways with Nadia promising to get back to Neal by the end of the week with some concrete suggestions.

Just as they were leaving, Neal's phone rang and as he walked his guests to the door, he picked up.

'Neal, do you want to come down here. We've got some news from Arizona'

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Neal strolled into the White Collar Unit like he belonged there - and of course, he did belong - after all those years working within those walls, it felt like home.

'Caffrey!' called out Diana, as he walked in. Over time, she had been promoted to Special Agent responsible for the art antiquities section of the unit and Neal and Sara had remained close friends with her and Christie. They were part of their extended family and were included in all the family get-togethers at the Caffrey home. Diana and Christie had two daughters of their own which they'd had through artificial insemination: a ten year old, Olivia and an eight year old, Virginia. They had relocated not far from Neal and Sara's place in White Plains and Hope had begun babysitting for them of late on the rare occasions when the women needed a night out.

'Hey Diana' responded Neal as he gave her a brief peck on the cheek

'I didn't know you were working a case with us?' she said

'Just a little something 'off the grid' I'm working on with Peter' Neal admitted as he began to make his way up to Peter's office

'Just like the old days, huh?' said Diana, as she returned to the task at hand

Peter was sitting in his office, deep in thought staring at his computer screen when Neal burst in, without knocking.

'Came as soon as I could' said Neal looking expectantly at Peter 'What have we got?'

'Well, I'm happy to report that the University of Arizona has come through with some very interesting information on Emily Ellis' said Peter

Neal looked at him, visibly on tender hooks 'Well... don't keep me waiting'

'Emily studied at the University of Arizona for four years and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She graduated with honours and proceeded to put her name on the availability list of teachers for the state of Arizona' added Peter

'Okay, and...' said Neal anxious to get to the punch line

'And, according to the Education State Board, she was hired right out of school to work in Tucson at an elementary school – Roosevelt Elementary School'

'So that was, what, twenty three years ago. Is she still working for the school board?' asked Neal, anxious to shave more years off their search.

'Unfortunately not. She did work there for ten years though and I've put in a call to the principal of the school to see if they have any information on where she went when she left there' Peter added

'So, you don't think she just moved to another school somewhere else in Tucson or elsewhere in Arizona?' asked Neal

'Not according to the State Board's records. She stopped being an active member of the Arizona Teachers' Federation when she stopped working at Roosevelt which would indicate that she stopped teaching, at least in that state' said Peter, handing over a copy of the information he had just shared to Neal

'So, we go to Tucson?' asked Neal, glancing at the sheet of paper

'Whoa, whoa there, Sundance. Let's start by talking to the principal of the school on the phone, first and see if she knew Emily. Then we can decide what to do' said Peter, hoping to harness Neal's impulsive response, something he rarely had luck with.

'I don't want to lose our momentum, Peter' said Neal 'We've already made such progress'

'Neal, she's been missing for 35 years, a few days isn't going to make any difference' said Peter, the voice of reason, as always

'But Peter, you've got to admit, if we hadn't been in LA and San Diego in person, we never would have found out what we did. Running into Gus and Mrs. Moore would never have happened if we'd tried to do our digging from here.' Neal's persuasion skills were still intact and he could talk himself and anyone else who was in the periphery into almost anything at any given time.

'Look, one step at a time, Neal. I agree, this is very encouraging but we have to take our time...' said Peter

'What – next thing I'll hear you say is that you need more _proof_...' said Neal, mocking Peter

Peter shook his head – 'Very funny, Neal'

WCWCWC

The buzzer sounded to mark the end of the first quarter. Neal sat on the bleachers and clapped as the team from Ridgemont Junior High returned to the bench for a team caucus. Liam's team had taken an early lead of 18 to 14 – with 8 of those points coming from none other the man himself - Liam Caffrey, new recruit.

Sara arrived just as the buzzer sounded, having come straight from work, and awkwardly made her way up the bleachers towards her husband climbing gingerly in her four inch heels and tight skirt. Neal had long ago given up on challenging Sara's sense of style, and truth be told she always looked amazing, but he couldn't help but smile as he saw her struggling with her heel jammed between the metal steps of the makeshift bleachers. He stood to give her hand and with his help, she made it up the last few steps to where Neal had been seated.

'Why did you have to sit at the very top?' Sara complained as she finally took a seat

Neal just looked at her and raised his eyebrows in response; he knew better than to get into any kind of argument with his wife when she was pissed off. The best solution was to wait her out and let her realize for herself that her complaint was totally unrelated to her real frustration, which in this case had been her poor choice of footwear for a school gym.

'Oh, alright, alright, anyway, hi' she said, realizing the battle was lost and giving Neal a quick peck as a means of making amends

'So, who's winning?' she asked

Except for whatever she had learned from Neal over the years or from attending Liam's sporting events, Sara knew nothing of sports – nor did she have any interest in learning. She would mix up the terms from one sport to the other, calling quarters, 'periods' or the ball drop a 'face-off' and frankly, it was most endearing to know that the sole reason Sara Ellis-Caffrey, would ever choose to sit in a stinky junior high gym was because she loved her son and enjoyed watching him have fun and be successful.

'We're winning and Liam already has four baskets' said Neal, proudly

'Excellent! Did I just miss the first period?' she asked

'Yeah, just the first period' said Neal, humoring her. He had long since given up on making a sports' fan out of his wife.

'So, how was your day?' she asked

'Good, I met the designer Jake suggested. I think she gets us – we'll find out by the end of the week though - she's going to submit some design ideas by Friday. Do you want to be there when we meet?' asked Neal, realizing that Sara's presence might be a good way of restraining the young woman's overzealous advances.

'Yeah, sure!' said Sara 'Oh, and by the way, we have to get a move-on if we want to finalize the plans for your birthday dinner. It's just three weeks away'

'Just a quiet family dinner, Sara. Nothing elaborate, okay?' answered Neal, as the game resumed

'It's not every day you turn 52!' said Sara, rubbing it in and enjoying the fact, as always, that she was five years Neal's junior

'Oh yeah? We'll see how you feel about it when we celebrate your fiftieth in a couple of years' teased Neal as he poked her gently with his elbow

Sara giggled and tried to tickle him back and they both broke out in a fit of laughter that ended with a hug and they could see their son, sitting on the bench, smiling up at them, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

As it turned out, Liam had a terrific first game and lead his team to a 42-36 victory. Sara and Neal waited in the school lobby as their son came out of the locker room wearing a most unflattering green track suit.

'What?...' said Neal as he looked his son up and down pointing to the unusual get-up

'Ah, apparently it's some sort of tradition when the team votes you 'player of the game' said Liam, anxious to leave before he was teased any more by his teammates. 'Can I get something to eat, I'm starved'

'We're headed home for dinner, there Shaq, you think you can hang on for another twenty minutes' said Neal as he put his arm around Liam' neck, jostling him as he lead him to the parking lot.

WCWCWC

'So, if I understood your vision correctly Mr. Caffrey, this is what I would suggest for the first floor' said Nadia, as she finished pointing to the plans she had spread out on the table in front of them.

She touched Neal's arm lightly and looked up, smiling at him and fluttering her eyelashes as she spoke. In turn, Neal grinned at his wife as she stood by, keeping her cool as she always did when women fawned over her husband – something she had long ago gotten used to.

'What do _you_ think, sweetheart?' Neal asked, wrapping his arm proprietarily around Sara's shoulder. He never called her 'sweetheart' so she knew he was making a point of showing the younger woman he had no interest in her, other than professional – after all, she was young enough to be his daughter.

Sara looked up at Neal, all dewy eyed and smiled back wanly. 'Darling, I love it!' she answered, playing along and lacing her arm around his waist. She turned to look at the designer who couldn't be more that twenty two and who was suddenly looking deflated: 'I do believe you understand exactly what _my _husband and I are looking for' she added

Nadia smiled politely and packed up her plans, having gotten the message. She promised to have everything wrapped up by the end of October leaving plenty of time for the art pieces to be moved in and for the finishing touches be put in place for a January opening.

With that done, Sara left to put in a few hours at Sterling Bosch and Neal returned home to a clandestine meeting with Peter who had finally gotten some news from Phoenix. Neal was chomping at the bit to move on to the next step.

'Well, I had an interesting chat with Ms. Worthington, the school principal' Peter was saying as they sat in the Caffrey kitchen nursing a cup of coffee

'By interesting, you mean fruitful?' Neal asked expectantly

'Well, not exactly, let's just say the lady is a stickler for rules and is obviously not very open to bending any of them.' answered Peter 'She, herself, has only been at the school for five years. She does however confirm that Emily Ellis worked at the school for a total of ten years; she taught third and fourth grade and she left thirteen years ago'

'So she didn't know Emily?' asked Neal

'Not personally. And when I asked if we could talk to any of the staff who might remember her, she reminded me that she didn't work for the FBI and that if there was any reason she should be cooperating, she would appreciate a warrant to that effect'

'Lovely. Do you think she's purposefully hiding anything?' asked Neal, visibly disappointed

'Nah, I just think she's one of those 'by the book people' who can't be bothered to help anyone out unless they're obligated to' answered Peter

'So, what do we do now?' Neal asked, more than ready to carry on with their search

'I hate to admit it, but we might have to go down to Tucson ourselves and do some digging. Ten years is a long time to live in a community. Emily must have made friends, had some interests, hobbies whatever. I did get a home address for her from the principal but even that was like pulling teeth - ' said Peter

Peter was interrupted by the front door opening.

'Neal, are you home?' called Sara from the front door

'We're in the kitchen' Neal answered as he stood and turned to Peter 'To be continued...' he said

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The flight to Tucson was long and painfully boring. Neal and Peter were flying economy and that made the whole exercise even more painful and boring. It was the last week of September and the weather was still summerlike in New York when they left. It had been a little more difficult to leave their wives this time as both men had had to endure the third degree – particularly Peter.

'Honey, I just don't get it' said Elizabeth as Peter finished packing his bag. 'You're just a few weeks from retiring. Can't someone else take on this case instead of you?'

'El, I would really love to get this guy before I leave' Peter was saying as he rolled up a couple of shirts and tried to avoid her penetrating gaze

'I've never even heard you talk about this guy – what's his name anyway?' asked Elizabeth who wasn't about to give up without more information

'What's the difference what his name is, El. I need to do this, that's all' insisted Peter, continuing to be evasive

'But honey, is this a dangerous case?' Elizabeth was insisting

'No, El. I don't think so. And I've got Neal as backup. It's all good. And at this point, it's basically recon – trying to figure out what he's been up to. Just trust me, okay?' he said as he walked over to her and put his arms around her

'I don't have to like it' said Elizabeth, pouting but finally giving in 'When will you be back?'

'By Saturday at the latest' Peter said as he finally zipped up his bag, anxious to get away from the persistent questions

Peter was her life and Elizabeth cared about her husband's safety more than anything. All throughout his career with the FBI, she'd had difficulty accepting that there were dangerous criminals out there with whom Peter was in constant contact. He'd had a few mishaps over the years, two minor gunshot wounds and various scrapes and bruises and she didn't want him exposed to any more misfortunes just weeks before his retirement. Peter couldn't blame her and if he'd had his way, he would have told her everything but he knew Neal was right: if he shared the details of his mission with El, it was a matter of hours if not minutes before she reported everything to Sara. And he had promised Neal to keep his secret... for now.

Neal, on the other hand had managed to slip under the radar a little more easily. Sara had been preoccupied by some case at work – a missing Degas that they were about to recover – and her mind had been a little less focussed on getting details of the trip from Neal. So far the cover story, that Neal was helping Peter with one last case, was holding water and although she had been disappointed that Neal would not be there for Friday's family dinner out, she gave him a loving and enthusiastic send-off on the night before he left and agreed to pick him up at the airport when he returned sometime Saturday.

Neal and Sara had celebrated 16 years of marriage in June and had been together off and on for close to twenty years and yet, somehow, their love life was as vibrant and enjoyable as ever. They enjoyed laughing and teasing each other and their witty banter and sense of humor kept their marriage fresh and alive. Hope and Liam frequently teased their parents about acting like love-sick teenagers, but truth be told, it was nice to know your parents still had the hots for each other – as long as you didn't witness too much in the way of particulars.

The weather in Tucson was hot but thankfully dry and the sun hit the tarmac mercilessly at the Tucson International Airport as the men descended from the plane. It was early afternoon when they arrived – two hours earlier than in New York and the men decided to rent a car and head over to the address of the apartment building that the school's principal had provided them with. Of course, it had been thirteen years since Emily had moved out of that apartment but one never knew. They had hit pay dirt twice already by showing up in person and asking questions – they hoped they would be lucky once again.

The building at 1488 Moodie Drive was a high rise in a nice middle class neighborhood and Peter and Neal began by knocking on the office door to confirm the fact that Emily Ellis had indeed lived in the building. Peter's badge went a long way when it came to getting information in any given situation – most people didn't question why an FBI agent would be asking questions (any question) when they saw the badge being flashed. The young woman sitting at the desk in the rental office was no exception and she quickly confirmed that Emily had indeed been a tenant for six years – the last six years she had lived in Tucson. Peter and Neal had the apartment number and proceeded to the fifth floor easily locating apartment 508. They knocked, crossing their fingers; maybe the current tenant would remember something about the woman who had lived there thirteen years before.

The door opened and a young woman of approximately 18 years old stood before them. She was dark haired and had clear bright eyes and Neal though of Hope and suddenly his heart tugged as he thought of his daughter so many miles away. The young girl explained that her mom was out but that they had only moved in three years before and that she'd never heard of anyone called Emily Ellis.

Neal and Peter thanked her and were on the way to the elevator when the door to apartment 507, across the hall, opened slowly and an elderly woman holding a beautiful calico cat in her arms, peeked out.

'Excuse me' she said tentatively as Neal and Peter turned back towards her voice 'Are you looking for Emily Ellis?' she asked

Peter and Neal exchanged looks – it appeared that their luck was holding out after all.

'Yes, we are' said Peter, showing her his badge

'Has she done anything wrong?' asked the woman, visibly nervous

'No, ma'am, she hasn't done anything wrong. Would you have a minute to talk to us?' asked Peter

Within five minutes, they were seated in front of a nice hot cup of coffee as the woman, Miss Cummings, began to share her recollections of Emily.

'She lived here for about five years I think' she said 'She was a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School up the street and she shared the apartment with another teacher she worked with, Katherine Baker. They were both really nice women. Emily was a beautiful girl, blond with a nice smile although I always thought she looked rather sad about something – I could never put my finger on it. Katherine moved in here after her divorce – I'm not sure if Emily had ever been married; she did date from time to time but no one serious until about the time she moved out'

Peter and Neal exchanged looks; this woman was a goldmine of information - someone who was very helpful in a situation such as this but who might be a bit of a nightmare to have as a neighbor. She seemed to know an awful lot about all the tenants in the building. She was only too happy to share that Mr. Elliot in 509 was a heavy drinker and that the couple in 503 were having domestic problems. She also knew that Mrs. Dennison in 304 went out every Thursday afternoon to the local casino and she suspected the new young guy in 408 was most likely gay.

'Do you remember why Emily moved out?' asked Neal, trying to keep the woman on task

'She moved out of the city, that I remember and Katherine got a smaller apartment somewhere not too far from here. I'm not sure why but I think Emily's leaving might have something to do with the young man she was seeing towards the end. He would come over sometimes on Saturdays - he had a little girl but I don't like to pry so I don't know much else (translation: I tried as hard as I could to find out but they kept me out of the loop).

She was on a roll and Neal and Peter saw, that if they allowed this to continue, they would be there for a long time listening to the lonely woman's unfettered gossip so they politely thanked her for the coffee and the information and with difficulty, tore themselves away claiming to have an impending meeting elsewhere.

'Alright... the neighbor from hell' said Neal as they climbed into the car

'Well, we know where we can to come for all our neighborhood gossip needs...' added Peter as he began to navigate towards the local elementary school.

It was just about four o'clock and, with any luck, school would be letting out and they might be able to have a chat with Katherine Baker. They could see a number of school buses lined up in front of the school as they rounded the corner. Children were scrambling to get to their bus while others began the long trek home on foot. The men found a parking spot near the entrance to the school and spotted a woman, ostensibly one of the teachers, directing traffic and sending the children off in various directions with wishes for a good evening.

'Excuse me' said Peter as he and Neal approached the woman

The woman looked up, somewhat anxiously. Seeing two unidentified men outside a school with hundreds of young children around sent alarm bells and the men could see the hesitation and reluctance in her eyes. Peter didn't waste any time flashing his badge, hoping to reassure her that they were not some random men stalking children in a school yard.

'We're looking for Katherine Baker. Does she still teach at this school?' asked Peter

'Yeah, sure. She teaches grade five - but she's off sick today. She should be back tomorrow' said the woman as she continued to keep an eye on the children.

'Do you know where Ms. Baker lives?' asked Peter hoping for one more piece of the puzzle

'I'm sorry I don't and Ms Worthington is out at a meeting' she added, in reference to the school principal. 'I really think you should come back tomorrow and speak with her then'

Neal and Peter thanked the woman and reluctantly agreed that they had probably come to the end of the line as far as what could be accomplished today. A quick internet search for an address for K. Baker turned up nothing and Peter was hesitant to go to the local police considering he didn't have any personal contacts there. Despite Neal's eagerness to keep going, Peter convinced him to stop for the day, go out for a nice dinner and strategize for the next day. If they were going to have any chance of talking with Katherine Baker, they would have to make nice with the 'not-so-helpful' Ms Worthington.

Over steaks and fries, they agreed that Neal's charm might come in handy in such a situation – perhaps Ms Worthington would respond more favorably to Neal's charisma than she had to the strong arm of the law. They found a local hotel and settled in for the night, both checking in with their respective wives to see if all was good on the home front.

Neal lay in bed and thought once again of the possible outcomes of this search. If all went well, Sara could be reunited with her sister by Christmas but... there were still so many buts. Not least of which was Neal's nagging question about why Emily hadn't reached out to Sara – or had she? Sara had moved to New York when she was barely twenty one. Did Emily try to find her over the years? Did Emily want to be found? And if they did eventually find her, would she be happy at the prospect of reuniting with her kid sister? All these questions strengthened his resolve; one way or the other, he needed answers and more importantly Sara deserved those answers.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Thursday morning dawned bright and clear in Tucson... and in White Plains, New York.

Sara woke to the kids arguing about using the bathroom and realized that somehow, she had slept through the alarm. Neal was the early riser in the couple and without him to nudge her when the alarm went off, she had turned over and gone back to sleep. Damn, she thought, she had an 8:30 meeting and it was almost seven already – and the kids were fighting.

'Guys, please!' she called from her bedroom as she rolled out of bed barely avoiding stepping on the dog who lay there without a care in the world.

'Mom, it's not fair! She always gets to the bathroom first' whined Liam as he stood in the doorway to Sara's room

'Liam, please! You're almost twelve years old, do you think maybe you can talk to each other and work things out without it becoming a major production?'

As always, Sara was quick to snap and most often, when she did, it had nothing to do with the situation at hand but was usually caused by something else altogether. Having slept through the alarm had her majorly pissed off and now, her son was getting the brunt of her frustration and irritation.

Across the country, Neal, had been awake since five. With the time change and his mind trying to figure out an in to Katherine Baker's classroom, he just couldn't get back to sleep. Peter's snoring and the constant drip emanating from the bathroom sink hadn't helped either. By six o'clock, he had risen, taken a quick shower and seeing that Peter was still dead to the world, he'd slipped out of the hotel room and down to the lobby to pick up a newspaper and some coffee... which is exactly where Peter found him when he finally made his way down at 8:15.

'Good morning there, Rip Van Winkle' said Neal as he spotted Peter coming into the lobby

'Wow, that bed was comfortable!' answered Peter by way of explanation as he grabbed a coffee and sat down next to Neal

'So, any thoughts on getting in to the school to talk to Katherine Baker?' he continued

'Yeah, a few...' said Neal 'From what you said about the principal, I don't think we both want to go in with guns blazing – or in this case, badges flashing'

'I agree, so what's our best bet?' asked Peter

After all these years, Peter deferred to Neal when it came to subterfuge and he knew that Neal never had any shortage of ideas when it came to approaching people. On any given operation, Neal was definitely the one Peter would choose to send in when he needed to schmooze his way in somewhere and Neal rarely disappointed. Over the years, he had managed to get them into the most unlikely of places using the thinnest stories Peter had ever heard. He often wondered why people were so gullible but he realized that most people just looked at Neal's eyes and smile and were only half listening to what he was saying anyway.

'Well, recess is at 10:15 so I thought I'd get there just a few minutes before and ask to see her because of a family emergency'

'What... family emergency?' asked Peter, intrigued

'Does it matter?' asked Neal, raising his eyebrows in that overconfident way Peter hated

'I guess not' he answered as he realized it really didn't. He knew that Neal would likely get the job done no matter what the cover story he used.

They agreed that Neal would go in alone and ask to see Ms. Baker using his cover and then he would briefly explain to Katherine the real purpose of his visit and ask her to meet them later in the day. If Roosevelt Elementary School was anything like every other school in America, he would be intercepted before he even entered and would be sent to report to the office or directly to the principal.

By ten o'clock, Peter and Neal were sitting in their rental car checking out the school from a safe distance.

'It's show time' said Neal finally 'Wish me luck!'

He made his way to the main door of the school, noticing the camera that recorded everyone's arrival and pressed the doorbell as he took a deep breath. Cons were easy when he had nothing personal to gain from them but in this situation, he definitely didn't want to mess things up. He knew that the woman who had shared an apartment with Emily Ellis would likely have a lot to say about her and having an opportunity to chat with her was critical to their investigation.

Instead of the door opening, a young woman appeared and looked Neal over before opening the door to speak to him. He had chosen to wear a suit in order to look as if he was coming from work and he gave the woman a weak smile as he took on the persona he had concocted that morning.

'Can I help you, sir?' said the young woman

'Hi, I'm Aaron Baker. My sister teaches here. She teaches grade five. I need to talk to her – we have a family emergency'

Neal looked upset and anxious and tried to smile through his obvious distress. He was wringing his hands, visibly troubled and the young woman stepped aside and invited him in.

'Everyone who enters the school must first see Ms. Worthington, our principal. You can come with me' she said as she led Neal to the nearby office.

Step one, check, thought Neal

Ms. Worthington looked up as her secretary walked in and introduced Neal. As suspected, she had a stern look, probably from years of being conned by six to twelve year olds and she did not look amused to have been interrupted. Neal spotted a photograph of a couple in their seventies on the woman's desk and quickly made certain assumptions about the principal. She wasn't wearing a wedding band and she had a picture of her parents in her office. As heartless as it sounded, Neal knew that the best cons exploited people's weaknesses or interests and he instantly went with his gut feeling.

'Hi, sorry to barge in' he said, breathless conveying the notion that he was upset and not his usual calm self. 'I just got a call at work that our father had been taken to hospital after a terrible fall. They don't think he's going to make it and I knew Katherine was in class and...'

'Oh dear' said Ms. Worthington, warming up to the lie. 'I know how important our parents are to us. I'll have my secretary walk you over to her class. Recess is in five minutes anyway. I'm so sorry about your father' she said, touching his arm

'Thank you, thank you so much' Neal said shaking her hand and turning towards the door.

They made it to the grade five class room just as the bell was ringing and the young woman accompanying Neal popped her head in the class as the children began to spill out, anxious to get to recess.

'Miss Baker? Your brother is here to see you. Your father has been taken ill' said the young secretary as Neal followed her into the class

Katherine looked up at Neal, hesitated for a moment, then said 'Thanks Jane'

Neal took a few tentative steps towards her and she raised her hand telling him not to get any closer.

'Alright, my dad died twelve years ago and I'm an only child. So you have exactly thirty seconds to tell me who you are and what you want before I press this emergency button' she said calmly but gravely

Neal stopped and stared at the woman. He instantly liked her and immediately dropped the act, smiling at her as he spoke.

'My name is Neal Caffrey and my wife is Sara Ellis. Her sister is Emily Ellis and I'm on a mission to find Emily and help them reunite.' As he spoke, Neal took out a picture of himself with Sara and flashed it at the teacher who looked up at it and smiled faintly as she observed the resemblance with her friend.

'Alright, I believe you. So what to do you want?' she asked

'I'd like to sit and talk to you about Emily if I could. I have a lot of questions' he said

'Look, I could meet you at the coffee shop down the street at noon. But I've only got about thirty minutes' said Katherine

'That's all I ask. I'll meet you there with my partner' said Neal

'Partner?' she asked

'I'll explain everything when we see you. Thank you for agreeing to talk with me' said Neal as he stepped away, making his way out of the classroom and back to the car where Peter was waiting anxiously

'So?' he said as Neal stepped into the car

'She's going to meet us at noon at the coffee shop up the street' said Neal, relieved

'You never cease to amaze me' said Peter as he turned the key in the ignition and began to drive away.

WCWCWC

Liam sat in class and meekly raised his hand, asking to be excused. It was becoming embarrassing – it was only 11:00 and he had already asked to go to the bathroom three times. He'd noticed lately that he had to go to the toilet every hour and he felt self-conscious about it; even Will had started to tease him calling him the 'anti-camel' and Liam hated to be the centre of attention. He made his way to the bathroom, dragging his heels. He was tired all the time and the thought of having to go to basketball practice at lunch didn't have its usual appeal. On the way back to class, he passed the soda machine and for the second time today, he popped some coins in and grabbed a bottle of water.

He was enjoying junior high and he'd made a few new friends but like every other pre-teen boy on the planet, all Liam Caffrey wanted was to blend in and not be different from his friends in any way. He made his way back to class and took his seat.

WCWCWC

The door to the coffee shop opened and in walked Katherine. She was a pretty woman of approximately forty five years of age. She had blonde hair, styled in a blunt cut and she had smiling eyes which made them twinkle when her lips began to curl. She walked purposefully towards Neal noticing the older man sitting next to him and she slid across from them in the booth they had taken towards the back of the coffee shop. She noticed a coffee was sitting in front of her as she sat.

'Hope you like coffee' said Neal, smiling at her

'I do, thanks' she said, grabbing for the sugar bowl as she spoke

'Katherine, this is my partner, Peter Burke. He works for the FBI and so do I part-time'

'Hi' said the woman, meekly. Meeting a couple of FBI agents was a novelty and she glanced up at them nervously

'This has nothing to do with the FBI, per say' added Neal 'Peter and I have worked together for years and we're close friends. He's helping me find Emily. Look, I want to apologize for the sneaky way I approached you this morning' said Neal 'We tried to look you up to call you but we couldn't get a number for you'

'My phone is still under my married name, Collins' she said 'For some reason, I never had that changed'

'We didn't know how else to get in touch with you so that's why I showed up at school today' explained Neal

'As I said, my wife Sara is Emily's younger sister. When Emily was sixteen, she left home suddenly and Sara never heard from her again. That was 35 years ago. I've been with Sara for almost twenty years and every August, I've held her while she cried for her sister. She doesn't know I'm doing this and I hope it doesn't end in heartbreak, but I can't stand to see my wife devastated and not knowing what happened and if her sister is still alive'

Katherine looked at him thoughtfully 'What do you want to know?'

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The waitress returned and filled up the trio's coffee cups as they settled in and began to chat.

'Emily and I were friends and roommates for five years' Katherine began 'We taught together at the school and we lived over on Moodie Drive not far from here'

'We did have the pleasure of meeting Miss Cummings in apartment 507' said Neal smiling wryly

'Ah, Miss Cummings or as we liked to call her 'Miss Mind your own business' Katherine said, smiling

'Yeah, we kind of got that vibe' added Peter 'On the plus side, she did remember an awful lot about the years you spent there with Emily. And she did help lead us to you.'

'Well, I'm not surprised. Emily had been teaching at Roosevelt for a few years when I came. I had just started teaching at the school and my marriage was breaking up and so we decided to share a place – you know, teacher's salary and all'

Neal listened intently as the woman spoke. She had a candour and openness he admired and he felt confident that she could shed some light on the ten years Emily had spent in Tucson.

'Emily and I became really close. We shared a lot about our lives and our pasts. I had a really happy childhood; I was an only child and my parents doted on me. My father passed away several years ago but I'm still really close to my mom who lives here in the city. Emily envied the closeness I'd had with my parents and she spoke about her family life with sadness and bitterness. She told me how she'd had a really difficult relationship with her parents. The only good thing about her life growing up was her relationship with her little sister'

Neal thought back to the many conversations he'd had with Sara about her childhood. Her parents had been demanding and authoritarian and her dad in particular had been emotionally distant and cold. When they had first gotten together, Sara had been standoffish and aloof herself and over time, she had explained to Neal that she had been raised that way – to be detached and remote and not to show her emotions. Where Sara had seemingly integrated those traits and continued to fight them on a daily basis, Emily had rejected them, choosing instead to run away. Sara had always credited Neal with bringing out her caring, nurturing side and she was thankful he had been able to see past her cold exterior to the compassionate person that was underneath.

'Her father, especially, was cold and domineering and Emily used to tell me how insensitive he was. She, on the other hand was a warm and loving person and she couldn't live in an environment like that. She told me how, at sixteen, she couldn't take it anymore and decided to leave without a trace so she could get away from home'

Peter interjected: 'We found out that she had a rough time when she first moved away'

'Yes' said Katherine 'She took a one way bus ticket across the country and ended up in LA without a penny. Emily wasn't very proud of her time there. She fell in with a bad crowd and worked as a dancer in a bar'

'We visited that bar' said Neal quietly 'and we met a really nice man who remembered her. He was able to tell us about her time there'

'Gus?' asked Katherine

'Yes, Gus' said Neal, surprised

'She used to talk about him. He had kept her sane while she worked at the bar. He would look out for her and make sure she was safe. Emily said he had tried to keep her from falling into drugs but the attraction was just too much for her. She needed to have an escape and she began using and dating this drug dealer – I forget his name...'

'Paul Baxter' said Peter, remembering their conversation with Gus

'That's it' continued Katherine 'And she ended up moving to San Diego with him. He abused her both physically and mentally and after a while, she got away from him with some help from the landlady of the place they lived in'

'Mrs. Moore' said Neal

'Yeah... you guys have really done your homework' added Katherine

'She's the one who pointed us in this direction' said Neal 'She told us Emily had gotten clean and had decided to go back to school'

'Well, Emily was very thankful for Mrs. Moore and her support. If it hadn't been for her, Emily used to say she would have finished up dead at thirty'

Neal nodded in agreement.

'So, Emily came here and went to Arizona State and got her teaching degree. We met up a few years later when I came to Roosevelt. She'd already been here a few years, teaching. We liked each other immediately. I was still with my husband but within a year, our marriage fell apart and Emily and I decided to take a place together'

The memories were obviously happy ones and Neal could see a smile creeping into Katherine's eyes as she spoke.

'Did she ever talk about Sara?' he asked

'All the time' responded Katherine 'She loved her sister so much and she was afraid that Sara had become cold and heartless like their parents. She tried to find out where Sara was. She even had me call the house once and talk to her mother saying I was a friend of Sara's and asking for her. Her mom told me that Sara had moved away and was living in New York. That's all we were ever able to find out. Emily would wonder if her sister was safe and if she was happy. Every year on Sara's birthday, I would sit with her and hold her hand while she cried and told me another piece of the puzzle or another happy memory she had of her time with her sister. She told me how they had gone to England the summer just before she left. They had really bonded and she wondered if she should have taken Sara with her when she ran away. But she was only twelve and Emily was in no position to take care of her little sister'

Neal nodded thinking back to an almost identical conversation he'd had with Sara concerning their trip abroad that summer. Sara idolized Emily and after bonding during that trip, she couldn't understand how her sister had left her behind. The timing of her departure had been particularly difficult for Sara who had continued to blame herself, somehow, for Emily leaving.

'Emily tried to be happy and she did manage to some degree but there was always this sadness about her that never seemed to go away. Even when things were going well for her, there was always sorrow and despair in her eyes – a hole in her heart. She used to tell me that hole was Sara'

'Why didn't she try harder to find her?' Neal asked

'It was a push, pull thing, you know... She would make a few attempts to find out where she was but then she would worry that Sara would be disappointed in her or angry at her for leaving and that she wouldn't welcome her back. She knew Sara was distraught when she left and she was frankly embarrassed by what she had done since she'd left home. She just kept hoping that Sara was happy and safe somewhere. Is she?' she asked as she looked at Neal

'She is. Sara is an amazing woman. When I met her, more than twenty years ago, she _was _aloof and cold. She was working 70 hours a week at trying to forget her past and it took me a long time to break through and find the real woman inside. But it was worth it. She's still strong and determined but she's also funny, loving and caring and she's become a wonderful wife and mother'

'Mother?' echoed Katherine

'Yes, we have two children' Neal said proudly, reaching into his pocket to pull out some photographs 'Our daughter, Hope, is sixteen and she's an amazing artist and our son, Liam, is an accomplished athlete. He's eleven.'

Neal was beaming as he spoke 'And Sara works for an insurance company in art recovery. I'm very proud of her. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and we're very happy. We live in White Plains, in New York and we both work there and our kids go to school there'

Peter looked over at his friend 'Let's just say, Sara and Neal complement each other very well' he added, touching Neal gently on the shoulder

'So, what happened? Why did she leave Tucson?' asked Neal

'Ah, now that's the fairy tale part of the story' said Katherine 'A little girl came to Emily's class a few years back. Her name was Sophie. She was a lovely little girl who was being raised by her single dad. Over time, Emily and Mike began seeing each other and within a year, he asked her to move away with him. He was an engineer for the Canadian government and he had been working on a project here for ten years. The project ended and he had to return to Ottawa where he had been based. Emily packed up and followed him and they were married the following year.'

Neal smiled at the thought of Emily having a happy ending. Or was it an ending, he wondered. He thought back to one of Mozzie's favorite Orson Wells quotes: 'If you want a happy ending that depends, of course, on where you stop the story' and he knew that the story didn't end there.

'Did you keep in touch?' he asked, hopeful

'We did, for about five years. I visited her a couple of times in Ottawa. They had a beautiful home and she was very happy. Mike was a wonderful, loving husband and Emily helped raise Sophie who would be in her twenties by now'

'What can you tell us about this Mike?' asked Peter

'Mike Foster. He's Canadian – born and raised. He worked as a civil engineer for the Canadian government and travelled quite a bit. Actually, his ten years in Tucson was the longest he ever stayed anywhere. He was a little older that Emily and his wife had died when Sophie was five years old. By the time he met Emily, he was coming out of his grief and ready for a new relationship. Sparks flew almost immediately between them and Emily felt she was the luckiest woman in the world'

'I was at their wedding twelve years ago, in Ottawa. Emily was so happy. She enjoyed living there, liked the pace. She rediscovered the arts and began painting in her spare time. She didn't get a job though, not while I was in touch with her'

Neal smiled at the thought that Emily shared a love of the arts, like her sister, and her niece.

'When was the last time you heard from her?' asked Peter

'Hum... maybe seven, eight years ago. Then, a couple of years back, I got nostalgic and tried to contact her again at the number I had but they had moved away. Mike had been sent to Europe somewhere but I have no idea where so I let it go.'

Katherine's eyes filled with tears at the memory of her friend.

'You know, I hadn't thought of Emily in a couple of years. I would love to get in touch with her. Will you let me know if you find her?'

'Of course' said Neal, taking out a piece of paper and pen for Katherine to write on

'Thank you, Ms. Baker' said Peter finally, you've helped a lot. 'We're going to continue looking and hopefully, we'll find her and bring her home to her sister'

Neal stood to say goodbye and instinctively reached out and hugged Katherine gently as she responded in kind.

'Good luck' she said, before leaving 'I really hope you find her'

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The men drove back to the hotel in silence. They had an awful lot of new facts and information to process. Luckily, Peter'd had the presence of mind to take notes while they talked and he had jotted down all of the pertinent details Katherine Baker had shared with them.

When they arrived at their hotel room, it was still early afternoon and they both agreed that they weren't going to get much more information from anyone else in Tucson. Katherine had provided them with a wealth of facts and names and they had plenty of information to move forward and continue the trail to Emily. They had now managed to account for about 28 of the 35 years Emily had been missing. There remained the last 7 or so years but they knew the trail went dry after those five or so years in Ottawa.

Peter could tell that Neal wanted to jump the plane and head to Canada's capital right there and then to continue their search, but there was much that could be learned long distance so he suggested they head home early and regroup before reacting too impulsively to this new information.

The next direct flight to New York wasn't until early Friday morning so Neal and Peter decided to bunker down for one more night and head out first thing in the morning.

Peter called Elizabeth to let her know he would be coming home early – she was thrilled of course and promised to meet him at the airport when he arrived. Neal, on the other hand, thought it would be nice to surprise Sara with his early arrival. He knew that Friday night dinner out with the kids was sacred for her and he was pleased that he would be there to join the rest of his family. Peter and Neal spent the evening in their room, eating bad Chinese food as they began to pore over the details of what they had learned.

Neal had been keeping a storyboard of sorts with all the time lines mapped out as well as their contacts and all the details they had learned. He smiled as he began to add a slew of new information to the chart. He was feeling very optimistic – the only thing he could see that would deter them from their goal was to learn that Emily had had an untimely death in the past few years.

Peter sat at his computer and began a search on Mike Foster, civil engineer. He got a few hits on Google, papers that the man had contributed to writing and some award he had won while he lived in Tucson but nothing about his current whereabouts or whether or not he was still working as an engineer. He turned to the Government of Canada website trying to track down where Mike Foster was presently working but he hit a wall. He could see that the man had worked for the Ministry of External Affairs but even with his FBI clearance, Peter was unable to gain access to information on the man. Apparently, Mike Foster had the highest level of security clearance and without a warrant, there was no way of tracking him down. There was no justifiable reason for a warrant, so Peter went back to the drawing board in order to figure out how to gain information on Mike Foster and his lovely wife, Emily Ellis.

WCWCWC

It was almost three o'clock on Friday afternoon when Neal got off the elevator on the 31st floor of the Sterling Bosch building on 47th Street in downtown Manhattan. He made his way through the maze of hallways and walked up to Sara's assistant with his usual charming demeanour.

'Jenny, hi. Is my wife in?' he asked

'She is, but she asked not to be disturbed' she said, then looking at Neal cocking his head to one side and shrugging she added 'but I'm sure she won't mind...'

'Ms Ellis' she said as she opened the door to Sara's office. Although Sara had been using 'Caffrey' or 'Ellis-Caffrey' in her private life since she'd been married to Neal, she was still 'Ellis' at the office – that had never changed.

Neal could hear Sara's response loud and clear from the outer office.

'Jenny, which part of 'I don't want to be disturbed' don't you understand' she said, rather dryly – a tone Neal recognized as the 'don't mess with me, I'm on a mission' tone he knew so well

He popped his head into her office, with that oh so naughty smile of his, the one that made her melt.

'Neal, what are you doing back?' she said, obviously thrilled to see him

'Sorry Jenny, that'll be all' she said as she dismissed her assistant

Neal closed the door behind him and strode confidently into her office, meeting Sara halfway. She was unable to hide her delight at seeing him unexpectedly appear at her place of employment. There were files all over her desk and she was obviously in the middle of something big but for the moment, she seemed to have forgotten all that as her husband finally reached her and put his arms around her, pulling her to him tightly.

'I missed you' he whispered huskily into her ear

'You rat, you're trying to make me believe you came home a day early because you missed me' she answered laughing as she tossed her head back

'Okay, so we finished up early and I couldn't wait to see you. Is that better?' he asked as he began to kiss her exposed neck

'More plausible, anyway' she purred, trying to fight the urge to give in to this unexpected and uncharacteristic public display of affection. But she was losing the battle as she began to feel a shiver all the way down to her toes.

'I'm kind of in the middle of something...' she started as Neal pressed his lips insistently on hers cutting her off and causing her pulse to quicken

'I can see that' he said, breathless, referring to the kiss and not the stack of files behind them

'Neal - ' she began half-heartedly

'Yes Sara' he whispered lingering once again on her neck

'Are you crazy? It's the middle of the workday. I'm totally up to my eyeballs in work and we're not a couple of horny teenagers' she said, feeling exactly like a horny teenager doing something forbidden in the dark corner of the school cafeteria.

'You're right' moaned Neal, his breath becoming ragged 'I'll stop immediately if you ask me to' he said as he began nibbling at her ear which, he knew very well, did things to Sara.

'Please, st - ' she began feebly but her body was dictating another course of action. She let his lips find hers once again and she moaned into his mouth as his hips pinned her against the desk.

'How much time do we have – really?' asked Neal softly, perfectly intent on seducing his wife in the middle of the workday in her busy office.

'Five, ten minutes' she purred, her eyes closed and her head thrown back, totally lost in the moment

'Lots, then...' murmured Neal as he began to run his hand up her leg, lifting her skirt

The next few minutes were a blur of hasty movements, heavy breathing and muffled sounds as unnecessary articles of clothing were pushed away with lightning fast hands and mouths. They hadn't had quick and dirty sex in years and the spontaneity of the moment, as well as the dangers associated with the possibility of someone walking in at any moment, made the sex even hotter and more exciting.

The romantic interlude ended just as abruptly as it had begun. Neal and Sara grinned at each other, still panting and Neal began to tuck his shirt back into his pants as Sara smoothed her skirt and began adjusting her hair.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door.

'Ms Ellis, Mr. Bosch is ready for you' said Jenny, through the door

Sara looked at Neal with smoldering eyes, not quite believing what had just happened and suddenly she began to giggle as she straightened Neal's tie and turned him around, giving him a firm slap on the butt as he went.

He looked over his shoulder, grinning 'See you at dinner' he said, walking away.

WCWCWC

Hope was sitting on the couch in the family room sketching from a photograph when she heard the front door open.

'Anybody home?' she heard as the door closed

'Dad! What are you doing home? Mom said you weren't due back until tomorrow' she said looking up to see Neal standing between the family room and the kitchen looking a little ragged

'We finished early' he answered as he took off his jacket and began to loosen his tie. He made his way over to the couch and gave his daughter a peck on the head as he peered down at what she was working on.

'Wow, that's really good, honey' he said, admiring her work

'I love the perspective you're using here – it really gives the sketch some depth' he added pointing to the drawing

'Thanks, I was really struggling with that' she responded looking up at her dad

'Is this for anything special or just a personal project?' asked Neal

'It's for an assignment on still life for my art class' she answered 'and you know how much I hate still life – except for landscapes. Bowls of fruit, however, I hate...' she said

Neal scooted her over and sat down next to her: 'I don't think I got a chance to tell you that we've set a final date for the gallery opening: January 22nd - are you going to be ready with 10 pieces for me?'

'Ten? Really? I don't know...' said Hope, looking slightly concerned

'You already have more than enough in the studio as it is' Neal reminded her

'I know, but there not all 'gallery-worthy' she responded

'I beg to differ. That whole series from the cottage is beautiful and that's what, six pieces right there' commented Neal

'Yeah? I don't know, I don't think there _all_ good' she responded as she looked up at him

'Well, you're the artist and you get to decide what you want to put in the gallery but remember, half the top floor is for your stuff so - ' Neal trailed off

'Dad, I know what an opportunity this is and I won't let you down. It's not every sixteen year old who gets the chance to display their work in Manhattan's art district' she said, smiling

Neal put his arm around her and gave her a hug: 'For one thing, you could never let me down. And secondly, why do you think we're doing this? I believe in you; you have an amazing eye and incredible talent and even if I wasn't your dad – and your number one fan – I would still be asking you to be part of the gallery's permanent exhibition'

At that, Hope just smiled broadly. Ever since she was a toddler, her parents had given her every opportunity to explore her interests and develop her talent. As early as she could remember, there had been a space just for her in Neal's studio starting with a toddler-sized easel when she had barely learned to walk. Neal had always made certain she had all the materials she needed and he encouraged her to work using a variety of mediums so she could discover her preferences and strengths. Of course, he had acted as a role-model throughout her life and this had encouraged her to try new things and not be afraid of failure. It had taken Neal his whole adult life to develop that level of confidence and he was thrilled to know that, unlike him, his daughter would never have to suffer with self-doubt and insecurities.

'So, who's turn is it to pick the restaurant for dinner tonight?' Neal asked, standing

'Liam' she said

They both looked at each other knowingly before chiming in simultaneously: 'Italian'

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sara was usually very careful about her menu choices, especially when they went 'Italian' where it was really difficult for her to resist pasta dishes. At 47, she no longer had the diminutive frame she'd had in her twenties but she still looked amazing and she worked hard to maintain a healthy body weight. She watched what she ate and she worked out at the employee gym at Sterling Bosch every chance she got. But after two babies and a couple of decades, it was definitely more of a struggle to maintain that healthy weight so she worked hard on a daily basis to make healthy meal choices.

She looked the menu up and down and mused: 'I think I might let myself be tempted by pasta tonight, I was particularly active today' she said as she sent a meaningful look Neal's way.

He just smiled back at her knowingly.

'What are you having Neal?' she asked.

'Well, I am _starved_ and I am going with the ... Fettucini Avelinno' said Neal, with conviction

'I'm having the veal' said Hope as she put down her menu. Hope was not a picky eater – except for asparagus which she had disliked since she was a toddler. Anything else was fair game and she could make do with just about anything.

'What about you, honey' Sara asked as she touched Liam's arm 'You're not looking like your usual chipper self – this is your favorite restaurant'

'I guess, my usual, the lasagna' he said without much conviction

'Are you sure you're okay, honey?' asked Sara

Usually when they went to Graziella's Bistro which was Liam's favorite local Italian restaurant, he was excited and animated but he was much quieter than usual on this Friday night.

'What's wrong?' asked Neal, obviously out of the loop. Being out of town had its disadvantages when it came to being up on the kids' frame of mind or their activities. Their moods could change so quickly and from one day to the next, it was difficult to know what was going on with them.

Hope seemed to be out of that awkward stage where hormones were all over the map and behaviors erratic but Liam was right smack dab in the middle of raging hormones and his mood and behaviors were unpredictable and constantly changing. One day, he could be kind and accommodating and the next, he was moody and irritable.

'He's just not eating like he should' answered Sara as she lifted her hand to touch her son's forehead to check for any sign of fever

'Mom, please' moaned Liam as he pulled away from her touch

'Alright' Sara said, resigned. There was no sense insisting and ruining the atmosphere; it was Friday night, her favorite moment of the week – the time when they got to sit together as a family and talk about their week and share a meal.

Neal and Sara sat across from each other and continued to give each other secretive, suggestive looks as all four of them tucked into their meals. Their little escapade that afternoon had added some excitement to their sex life and after spending the last few nights alone in their bed, Sara was looking forward to sharing the space with Neal once again. She hoped he would be up for an encore performance when they finally made their way home. After all, they needed to make up for lost time...

'So, how's the investigation going?' she asked 'Have you finally caught this guy?'

'Not quite' said Neal, careful of his answer 'We were able to trace some of his movements but he was no longer in Tucson so...'

'Who is this guy anyway? A thief?' she asked, urging Neal to continue

'Yeah, he's wanted on a number of art thefts but he's quick – and smart. Peter mostly wanted to interview some people to gather some intel on him' he continued, milking the lie

Although he was taking no pleasure from lying to his wife, Neal was surprised to see just how easily he could still fabricate stories. He had always had the ability to think on the spot and give information without really answering questions directly. Of course, Sara knew all about this talent of Neal's but he had not indulged in story fabrication since they had been married – at least not on a regular basis – and Sara thought she knew him well enough to spot those carefully constructed lies. Her radar seemed to be malfunctioning though and the conversation fell to the kids, their school activities, their plans for the weekend and the highlights of Sara's week at work.

Neal and Sara continued to sip their wine while they gazed at each other like a couple of lovesick teenagers. Sara's foot, which she had slipped out of her shoe was making its way up and down Neal's shin and he smiled appreciatively, anxious to get home to Act 2 of that afternoon's performance.

'Ugh, Mom' said Hope suddenly 'Are you playing footsies with Dad? This is family restaurant!' she shrieked in mock horror at her parents' lascivious behavior.

'Busted!' said Sara

Neal just looked at his daughter and shrugged 'I don't know what you're talking about'

WCWCWC

Saturday morning arrived along with another Caffrey tradition: Neal's bacon and eggs with French toast. The funny thing was that, after everyone devoured the contents of the entire platter Neal had placed on the table, they all seemed to disappear leaving him with all of the cleaning up.

Neal finished putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and after wiping down the kitchen counter, he came up the stairs and started towards his bedroom. As he got closer, he could hear a commotion and he cocked his head around the door jamb to see what all the fuss was about.

'I can't find it anywhere!' Sara was grumbling, visibly upset. She was opening and closing dresser drawers, removing articles of clothing, moving stuff around and the more she looked and didn't find, the more flustered she was becoming.

'Hey, hey, what's going on?' asked Neal as he walked into the bedroom stepping over some clothes that had spilled over onto the floor

'My picture… of Emily, I can't find it anywhere' she said, slightly breathless as she continued to move around the room, not even bothering to look up at him.

Neal gave himself a mental head slap. He had 'borrowed' the picture for his trip out west and he had totally forgotten to put it back where Sara normally kept it, in her special keepsake box at the back of their bedroom closet. He knew exactly where the photograph was – it was in the side pocket of the suitcase he had used when he'd traveled to Tucson. He could put Sara out of her misery in two seconds flat but admitting to where the photograph was meant admitting to much more – like why he had it in his suitcase in the first place. He hated the thought of conning Sara but he couldn't come clean with a full confession; he had to find a way to calm her down without giving up his secret.

'I'm sure it's somewhere, honey. When was the last time you saw it? You had it at the cottage in August, remember?' he said, trying to appease her without giving up too much

'Oh, my God. What if I left it there!' she squealed, even more distressed 'Neal, it's the only picture I have of Emily'

'Sara, Sara, come here' said Neal, deciding to go with a distraction tactic. He had to find some way to soothe her - another couple of minutes and she would be totally hysterical.

Neal walked up to Sara and took her arm, nudging her to sit with him on the edge of the bed.

'You know what it's like when you're looking for something – the more agitated you get, the less likely you are to find it' he said in a calm, reasonable voice that belied his rapidly beating pulse

Sara looked up into her husband's eyes and he could see tears about to spill out. God, he felt like a jerk, causing her worry when he could make it all go away.

'Look at me' he said, calmly 'Go downstairs and make yourself a cup of tea and let me look for it, okay?'

'But - ' she began as Neal pressed a finger to her lips

'Go downstairs and make yourself a cup of tea' he repeated, slowly to accentuate his suggestion

Sara sighed deeply. 'Alright, alright' she finally said as she stood up and began to pick up some of the clothing that had fallen to the floor

'Leave it, Sara, I'll get it' said Neal, anxious to get her out so he could put her out of her misery as soon as he possibly could.

Sara walked away, shoulders slumped, sad and upset and the moment Neal heard her turning the corner, he ran to the closet where his suitcase had been stored and instantly he had the photograph of Sara and Emily in his hands.

Sara had left home on bad terms at the age of 21 and a few years later, her parents had both been killed in a car accident. She had never gone back home and she had no idea what had become of all their possessions. The one and only photograph she had of her sister was one they had taken while on their trip to England when she was twelve years old. Emily had left a few weeks after their return and the photograph embodied the closeness and intimacy that had grown between them during those wonderful weeks that summer. Sara kept it preciously and she took it out every August when the anniversary of Emily's disappearance came around. Why was she looking for it now?, Neal wondered.

He grabbed the picture, counted to ten and slowly made his way to the kitchen where Sara was putting water on to boil.

'Got it!' he announced, as he waved it in his hand

'Oh, thank God' exclaimed Sara as she took it from his hand and clutched it to her chest 'Where was it?'

'It had fallen between the headboard and the wall' lied Neal, smiling with relief at seeing his wife visibly relax

'How did that happen?' asked Sara rhetorically

Neal just shrugged – another silent lie.

'Thank you, Neal' she said, breathless as she gave him a quick kiss

'Why were you looking for it, anyway?' Neal asked, curious at the coincidence.

'I don't know… she's been on my mind constantly lately. I just felt the need to look at her face' said Sara, staring down at the photograph once more

Neal ran his hand gently over Sara's hair and she looked up at him once again

'Sorry I got so flustered' she said, looking into his eyes 'I guess I kind of lost it there for a minute'

Neal continued studying her face. What was he doing? Should he be coming clean with his wife about his search? Sure, she'd told him to leave it alone but did she really mean it? Was there a chance she might be happy to know what he was doing behind her back?

If it all ended happily with Sara and Emily reunited, he hoped that Sara would forgive him for his deception – well, eventually forgive him, anyway. If he couldn't find Emily, he had decided he would keep quiet and not tell Sara what he had been up to. The third scenario, which was finding out Emily had died, would be the hardest to deal with. He couldn't decide if he would share that news with his wife or if he would let her continue believing that Emily was safe somewhere. If that moment ever came to pass, he would have to decide if he should tell Sara or not.

He wasn't prepared to face that possibility just yet.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Neal's conscience was working overtime. After the incident with the missing photograph, he'd spent the rest of the day wondering what he was doing and who he was _really_ doing it for. Every time he had mentioned searching for Emily in the past, Sara had been adamant that she didn't want him to go down that road. Who was _he_ to think he knew what Sara wanted more than she did herself?

It was ten o'clock on Saturday night when Sara came up from the basement with a basket of clean laundry in her arms.

'Hey' she said as she walked up to Neal who was finishing up the last of the dinner dishes

Neal turned to face her and touched her nose with his soapy finger, hoping to get a smile out of his wife.

'Cute' she said, kissing him gently on the mouth 'I'm totally done in. I'm going to bring this up and fold it upstairs and hit the sack. Are you coming up soon?' she asked

'In a while, I want to watch the news; then I'll be up' he answered, smiling as he watched Sara make her way to the stairs.

He and Peter had only been home for two days and Neal was already itching to get back on the trail and finish this, once and for all. Peter had not had any luck breaking through official channels and it was beginning to look like they would have to travel to Ottawa and meet up with some friends of Emily and Mike's. Neal had spoken to Katherine over the phone and she had been able to remember the names of a couple of work colleagues of Mike's that she had met at the wedding. Neal had to admit that everything they had been able to find out so far was by sheer luck through unofficial means and he had already begun to pester Peter about a trip to Canada's capital.

The house was quiet. Liam was having a sleepover at Will's and Hope had gone to a movie with some of her friends. Neal walked over to the family room where his portfolio lay and pulled out the large sheet of paper on which he had been keeping all his notes from the Emily search. He opened it up and spread it out onto the kitchen table and began poring over all the details he had recorded. Everything was laid out chronologically starting with Emily's disappearance all the way to her last day in Tucson. Under each time line, he had the names of the contacts they had made and notes of all the information they had been able to gather. He began studying it again starting with the earliest date and making his way through all the individuals they had met throughout their investigation. He thought fondly of Gus and Katherine as well as Mrs. Moore – people who had been put on Emily's path to keep her safe.

He was unaware of how much time had passed when he heard a sudden movement behind him.

'I can't sleep' said Sara, making Neal jump as she came up behind him, giving him a quick hug 'I'm going to get something to eat'

Sara looked over at Neal, his face a shade of white she had never seen before and glanced down at the table where the incriminating notes sat in glorious detail.

'What are you - ' she began as she caught sight of Emily's name on the large piece of paper

'Neal, what's going on? What's this about Emily?' she asked as she began reading some of the information

Neal stood, paralysed, realising that no matter what he said or did he had been found out and could never quite recover from this.

As she read the information and began to process what it was she was reading, her heart rate began to soar and her face reddened as her blood pressure rocketed.

'Are you searching for Emily?' she asked in total disbelief of what she was seeing. She could make out references to LA and to Arizona and all of a sudden, things became clear. Neal had been deceiving her about his trips away with Peter and he'd apparently been lying for weeks.

'Is this why you went to LA? And to Tucson?' her voice growing louder as the implications became obvious. 'You've been lying to me?'

Now she was screaming and Neal was beginning to slowly regain his composure.

'Let me explain - ' he began, desperate to get her attention but he knew his wife all too well. If she was ever going to hear him out, it would certainly not be in the first few minutes after she found out he'd been deceiving her.

'You son of a bitch!' she yelled 'How could you do this? How many times have I told you to leave it alone? But no, you always have to act on every single stupid and impulsive thought you have.'

Neal reached out to try to take her arm and make her look at him as she began to turn away, unwilling and unable to look into his deceitful eyes.

'NO' she screamed 'D-O-N-T touch me!'

Sara pulled away as Neal tried to follow her but she left no room for him as she grabbed a coat and the keys hanging by the front door.

'And don't you dare come after me!' she shouted as she slammed the front door behind her, leaving Neal totally dazed and unable to move.

Neal stood in shock as the events of the last few minutes began to sink in. Suddenly the front door opened again and he turned hoping to find Sara standing there but instead he spied Hope looked perplexed.

'What's going on? Mom just took off like crazy and ran over the rose bush before she tore down the street' said Hope as she walked towards her Dad and took in his disheveled look.

If he hadn't been so upset, Neal would have found that visual amusing – he was always teasing Sara about her poor driving skills.

'Your mom and I had a disagreement' said Neal, quietly, still putting all the pieces together

'No kidding. Are you okay?' asked Hope as she touched his arm

'No, I'm not. I kept something from your mom and she's really upset about it' said Neal.

Hope could see the notes laid out on the table and began reading them, slowly putting two and two together.

'Have you been searching for Aunt Emily?' she asked, incredulous.

'Yes. Uncle Peter and I have been following leads to try to find her' Neal answered, without emotion

'That's so romantic, Dad!' said Hope

Neal scoffed 'I really doubt Mom is seeing that way. She's always said she didn't want me to look into her disappearance but I thought I knew better...'

'She's just scared, Dad. Scared of what you might find out. She's kidding herself that not knowing is better than finding out something bad happened to her sister.'

'Still, it wasn't my decision to make. I guess I just couldn't take seeing her so sad every time she thought about Emily and I wanted to fix it' Neal said, as he sank onto a kitchen chair looking blindly ahead.

'I really messed up' he added, finally acknowledging Hope standing over him

'Is there anything I can do?' asked Hope as she touched her Dad's shoulder

'No, sweet pea... This is 100% totally my mess and I've got to clean it up' Neal sighed as he spoke

His first instinct was to call the Burkes and let them know there was a good chance that Sara was headed their way. Her closest friend was Elizabeth and Neal suspected that she would make her way over there to try to calm down and work things out. He also owed Peter a heads up – when Sara spilled the beans, Elizabeth would likely be pissed off at Peter as well. This way, Peter had a window of opportunity to fill in his wife himself, in his own words.

'Peter, Sara found out... about Emily' said Neal quietly into the phone

'Oh, no! How is she?' Peter asked

'I have no idea; she stormed out of here like a bat out of hell and I think she might be heading your way. Can you call me if she shows up – I just need to know she's safe'

'Sure. Do you want me to get her to call you?' asked Peter

Neal laughed at this 'Peter, you know Sara better than that. She won't be ready to discuss this for a long time, if ever. She was so angry with me and feeling so betrayed that I'd been keeping this from her'

'I'm sorry Neal. I know you were doing this for _her_' Peter added, trying to reassure his friend

'Well, sometimes you have to accept it when someone tells you to butt out – something it's taking me a long time to learn, it seems' Neal answered, resigned. 'You may want to fill in Elizabeth before she hears it from Sara'

'Thanks for the heads up' said Peter as he hung up

Neal sat on the couch in the family room staring into space and wondering how he was ever going to make this up to Sara. He wasn't sure just how long he'd been sitting there when he finally glanced up at the clock, noticing it had been almost an hour since she left. He didn't like the idea of her being out driving when she was in such a state – Sara wasn't the most skilled driver at the best of times and her lack of dexterity had become a running joke between them. He had just grabbed the phone to check in with Peter when the phone rang in his hand.

'She's here' said Peter as Neal answered

'Is she okay?' Neal asked

'No. She's very upset but she is in one piece and I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep until you knew she was okay. She's upstairs with El; I can hear her crying and talking but I can't hear what she's saying'

'All right. I guess that's all I can hope for for tonight. Peter, if you talk to her, tell her how much I love her and how sorry I am that I've upset her'

'I'll try' said Peter 'but I kinda got the cold shoulder when she came in. I might be sleeping in the guest room myself tonight. El's not thrilled about this either'

Sara and Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed in El and Peter's bedroom. Elizabeth's arm was around her friend's shoulder but every few seconds, Sara would become agitated and Elizabeth's arm would fall away only to be repositioned a few moments later.

'What is it about Neal that he has to be so damn impulsive?' Sara cried

'I know it doesn't excuse him for disregarding your wishes but you have to think about his motivation in doing this.' Elizabeth had always been the voice of reason in their friendship – the one who could always see the other side of a situation. This made her a valued confidant; Sara was headstrong and quick to anger and Elizabeth was a calming influence, helping her friend see Neal's point of view whenever the couple had disagreements.

Sara just looked at her friend, wide-eyed.

'Here's a man who is madly in love with his wife and can't stand seeing her hurting so badly' said Elizabeth, trying to convince herself just as much as Sara

'If he loves me, he should respect my wishes' cried Sara 'He always acts impulsively and he doesn't think about how his actions will affect others'

'That's not quite true, Sara. Neal doesn't always follow orders but he always does what he thinks is right for the people he cares about. You can't fault him for that' added Elizabeth quietly

'I can – I've been with him over twenty years and he must have asked me a dozen times if I wanted him to search for Emily and I've always been clear...' Sara said as she slowly began to calm down

'Have you? Really? I was there a few years back on the anniversary of her disappearance. Remember, that night we went out to dinner at Venti's. You were a mess; and whether you intended to or not, you were giving Neal mixed messages. A man like Neal who needs to take care of people and fix whatever is broken can't turn away from a situation like that... It's a miracle he didn't act on this before. Peter tells me that Neal approached him because he thought they might have an easier time while Peter still had all his FBI contacts so maybe he saw this as his last chance to fix this.'

Sara just looked at Elizabeth, her breathing ragged as she listened to every word.

'I guess you could say he did a great job of controlling his impulses for twenty years before giving in, in the end' added Elizabeth

Neal woke with a start; he had been sitting on the couch in the family room and must have finally dozed off at some point. His neck was sore from the awkward position he had fallen asleep in and he let out a groan as he stood to make his way into the kitchen. It was still dark out; the clock on the microwave blinked - it was 4:58 and he figured he'd been asleep for about an hour. Neal turned on some lights in the dark kitchen and proceeded to put some coffee on. It was Sunday morning so the kids would probably sleep in – oh yeah, he remembered Liam wasn't home – it was just him and Hope.

He thought about Sara once again, wondering if she got any sleep. She was pretty pissed off and knowing her, she would be ruminating and going over things – that is if she could get over her initial anger. That was always Sara's way – work through the anger (during this phase, there was no use in even talking to her) and then replay the situation in her mind, analysing things from all angles. Unlike Neal, who reacted spontaneously, she took the time to digest things, look at them from different points of view and come up with a stance that was virtually unchangeable.

All Neal could do at this point was wait. There was no sense in barging over to the Burkes and begging her to listen to his point of view. He would get a chance when Sara was good and ready.

She became good and ready at about ten o'clock when Peter called to suggest Neal come over to chat with his wife while he and Elizabeth went out for brunch.

Neal called out to Hope that he was going out and grabbed the second set of car keys as he headed out the door.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Neal let himself into the Burke home and quietly closed the front door behind him as he spied Sara sitting on the couch, nursing a cup of coffee. He slowly made his way to the chair facing her and took a seat.

He studied her as she tentatively looked up and immediately returned her eyes to her coffee cup – he wondered if the discussion was premature or if she was really ready to have it out with him. The anger that had been so present in her eyes the night before seemed to have mellowed and had given way to despondency and sadness. It was obvious Sara was still struggling to understand why Neal had acted this way when she felt she had been so clear in expressing her wishes.

Knowing his wife as he did, Neal preferred to let her speak first and guide the discussion because no matter what he said at this point would not make up for the hurt and anger he saw in her eyes.

'What, in heaven's name, possessed you to do this, Neal?' she finally asked quietly, looking directly at him

'I have no explanation - except that I love you and I couldn't stand seeing you so sad and hurt' Neal responded softly. Not wanting to leave any room for misinterpretation, he searched her eyes, willing her to see the sincerity in his.

'_You_ couldn't stand' she repeated 'It doesn't matter that it was _my _choice to be sad...' She stopped suddenly as she realized how ridiculous the words she had just uttered must have sounded.

But Neal didn't rise to the bait and decided it was best to stay on the high road.

'Sara, if you saw that I was upset, year after year about something and you thought you could somehow make it better, even if I told you to leave it alone, would you?' he asked patiently

'Yes, I would Neal. Because I would respect the fact that you know what you want for yourself better than I do' she answered calmly

'Well, that's where we differ' answered Neal, simply

Sara thought back to all the times Neal struggled with watching her or one of the kids suffer through something – physical or emotional. How he could never just let it be when someone he loved was in pain and how he always needed to make it better. She thought back to Hope's three month check-up and she remembered how Neal couldn't bear to see Hope cry as the doctor gave her her first immunization. Neal had left the room, unable to accept that he could not prevent his little girl from suffering this fleeting bit of pain. She thought about the year she fought cancer and the reality, that in some ways, it had been harder on him than it had been on her; she thought about the delivery of their two babies and how Neal had struggled with watching her in physical pain. She thought about all the times one of the kids struggled with something at school or simply had to overcome adversity and how he would be the first to jump in and provide support and propose solutions.

He was such a sensitive and loving man and regardless of the fact that he often behaved impulsively, she knew without a doubt that he always acted with the best of intentions where his family was concerned.

Sara was beginning to realize that her pride was standing in the way of making up with Neal – she was headstrong and had trouble admitting when she was wrong. She knew without a doubt that part of her anger was directed at herself, for being afraid of what she might find out about Emily.

Finally, Sara couldn't hold on any more and tears began to roll down her cheeks as she struggled to keep control. Neal stood, without hesitation, and moved to sit next to her on the couch. She fought for a few seconds then she let herself be pulled into him as he put his arm around her to hold her close.

'I'm scared' she finally said, softly

'I know you are – and that's why I didn't want you to find out until I knew I had good news for you' said Neal, kissing the top of her head.

'But it might not be good news' she blubbered

'You're right, we don't know for sure. But we did find out quite a lot about what happened to Emily after she disappeared and if and when you're ready, I can tell you everything. It's up to you. And if you really want me to stop looking, I will, Sara. But I think that would be a mistake at this point – you need to know, you need closure one way or another'

Sara knew that Neal was right. She had kept her head in the sand long enough – it was time to know the truth once and for all.

'I'm sorry I said those things to you last night – whatever it is I said...' Sara whispered, remembering her outburst at the house. She truly couldn't remember what it was she had said but she knew from the look on Neal's face at the time, that she was hitting below the belt.

Neal laughed softly. 'It's okay, I've been called worse'

'And I _do_ know you were doing it for me' she added softly

'Still, we shouldn't have any secrets. I should have just worked harder on convincing you to let me do this' said Neal

They made their way towards home, separately, as they had each taken a vehicle to the Burkes and agreed to meet for a bite to eat at their local coffee place back in White Plains. Neal was the first to arrive and took up residence in a booth in the back, hoping to carry on with their conversation and fill Sara in on what he and Peter had uncovered. As he waited, he dialed home and filled Hope in on where they were and inquiring as to whether Liam had come home (he had).

Sara made her way slowly through Brooklyn, across the bridge, towards White Plains as she replayed the events of the last twenty four hours. Neal's actions had forced her to face the truth behind her intense reactions – fear. Fear that Emily was dead; fear that Emily didn't want to see her; fear that the memories she had of her sister would be tainted by the reality of the life she had chosen to live; fear that her sister would tumble off the pedestal Sara had placed her on for the past 35 years. But Neal was right; there would be release of all those fears when the truth was known – even if the truth didn't measure up to her fantasies. She suddenly felt ashamed of the way she had treated Neal – poor hapless Neal – who only wanted to help, albeit clumsily, in his impulsive way.

Neal spotted Sara drive up and park – ever so badly – by the front of the restaurant. She stepped out of the car and he watched as she made her way to the entrance. He marvelled at the way she held herself. Sara exuded strength and confidence in the way she walked and carried herself and after almost twenty years together, this remained one of the traits Neal loved most about his wife. He often felt tentative about things, always struggling with the right course of action but she always seemed to know and for the umpteenth time, he admired her vitality and drive. Of course, that meant she was also quick to anger and over the years, she had done and said some hurtful things but he had found the way into her heart and her love for him had always overcome any disagreement they had faced over time. She made her way to the booth and slipped in, smiling tentatively at her husband.

'Are we good?' she asked, looking up at him

'Aren't we always?' he answered with a gentle smile

They ordered breakfast and as they ate, Neal filled Sara in on the details of his trip to LA, his visit to San Diego and their more recent trip to Tucson. As he spoke, he could see Sara begin to relax at some of the details he was sharing. She was visibly relieved to hear that, although Emily had had a rough start when she first left home, she had found a way to get her life back on track.

'So, she was a teacher?' she asked as Neal began to recount the information he and Peter had gathered in Arizona

'Yeah, she taught grades 3 and 4. And she shared an apartment for about five years with a fellow teacher, Katherine Baker. Peter and I met with her and she shed a lot of light on Emily's life. They were close friends and Emily told her about her past, her family life and she talked a lot about you'

'Really?' Sara said, questioningly. Neal could see a soft smile coming to her lips – he knew this bit of information was helping with one of Sara's worse fears: that her sister had stopped caring about her.

'She regretted leaving you behind to deal with your parents and their unreasonable expectations. But she knew that at sixteen, she couldn't take care of a twelve year old. Katherine explained that Emily even had her call your parents' home and find out where you were and what you were doing. But you'd already left for New York by then. Emily was ashamed of what she'd done in LA and she was afraid that if she found you, you would be disappointed in her'

Sara listened, eyes wide, as she processed this information.

'Katherine says that Emily spoke of you all the time and that she prayed you'd found happiness, away from your controlling parents' Neal said, continuing

Sara wiped a tear as she continued to listen, awestruck by what Neal was saying.

'Sara, why don't we call Katherine – you could talk to her and ask her whatever you want. She's a really nice lady and I know she could fill in some of the blanks' Neal suggested

'You think she'd talk to me?' Sara asked, unsure

'Of course, she really wanted to help' explained Neal

WCWCWC

'You sure, you're okay?' asked Neal as he sat across from his son. Liam was busy doing homework at the kitchen table while Neal worked on his laptop.

'Just really tired' answered Liam, listless

'You've been saying that for a few weeks, now. Maybe we should take you to the doctor's for a check-up' offered Neal

'I hate the doctor' answered Liam

'Who doesn't? But Liam, you're losing weight and I noticed you don't have your usual energy. I'll call on Monday and make an appointment'

'Don't tell Mom' said Liam, adamant 'She always makes a big deal of things'

'I'm _not_ keeping this from your mom' said Neal, just as resolutely

'Dad, there is one thing – I've got like some sort of infection or rash or something...'

Neal could see his son was uncomfortable sharing this piece of information.

'Where? Show me' said Neal, suddenly more concerned

'You know... mmm...' answered his son, pointing in the general vicinity of his crotch

'Oh, okay. Well, show me later and we'll get it looked at by the doctor'

They were interrupted by Sara walking in with a large grin on her face. She had spent the last half hour talking with Katherine Baker and Neal could tell immediately that Katherine had been able to shed some light on a lot of the questions Sara had.

'So, good talk, then?' he asked as she came over to put her arms around her husband neck

'Excellent talk! What a nice lady!' exclaimed Sara. 'I feel so much better'

'So, what do you think? Do you want to carry on with the search?' Neal asked

'As long as we do it together and you tell me everything, and I do mean everything you find out no matter what it is' said Sara

'Deal' said Neal, returning her hug

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Neal reached up to place the carryon bag into the overhead compartment. He smiled at Peter and Elizabeth who were sitting directly behind them and sat down next to Sara, taking her hand.

She looked up at him and smiled.

'I'm glad we're doing this together' he said as he squeezed her hand

'Me too' she answered, squeezing back

WCWCWC

After Sara had finished talking with Katherine Baker, she had done a complete 180 and she had informed Neal that she wanted to get involved in the search for her sister. Her discussion with Katherine had reassured her that Emily had never stopped caring for her little sister and that she'd wanted only the best for her. Whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not, this was one of Sara's worse fears – that Emily had forgotten all about her and had no interest in seeing her again. Now, that she had been reassured on that score, she realized that what had kept Emily away all those years was her fear that Sara had disowned her for leaving her behind and her shame at how she had spent the first few years of her life away from home.

Armed with this new information, Sara was anxious to carry on and she pushed Neal into telling her every single detail he had uncovered starting with his talk with Gus. It was Sunday afternoon, so she threw a roast in the oven and decided to invite Elizabeth and Peter over for dinner so they could discuss plans.

An idea was beginning to burgeon in her mind – it was Neal's birthday in a few days and although she had been bugging him to let her know how he wanted to celebrate, he still hadn't made any suggestions. Why not combine a trip to Ottawa with Neal's birthday celebration and take off with their best friends – killing two birds with one stone.

Although Neal was relieved that Sara had begun to see the other side of the coin, he was nevertheless surprised to see the persistence and determination in his wife's face.

'You know, I've been doing some research and Ottawa has a lot to offer' Sara said as she finished serving the last of the dinner plates

They were having dinner in the dining room, an unusual occurrence, but since both the kids were home and Mozzie had dropped by, that was an awful lot of people to fit around the kitchen table.

'We've been to Ottawa a couple of times, haven't we Neal?' asked Mozzie as he took a bite of roast

'Yeah, at least twice that I can remember' answered Neal 'It's beautiful in the winter – they have the longest skating rink in the world - the Rideau Canal, it's something like five miles long'

'Wow, well I doubt there's any skating in October – even in Canada' added Peter

'Are you really serious about this, Sara?' asked Elizabeth. She wasn't totally sold on the idea. She had an event coming up the following weekend and wasn't sure this was the best time to take off on an impromptu vacation.

'When do we ever do anything spontaneous?' said Sara, eyes bright and shining

'What about us?' asked Liam, meekly

'Uncle Mozzie has already agreed to stay with you. It's only for a couple of nights' answered Sara, reassuringly

Neal sighed. 'Peter, do we even have enough information to go on? We don't want to waste our time while we're there' asked Neal, not totally convinced of his wife's crazy plan

'With the names we got from Katherine we can certainly make a start. She not only had a couple of names from Mike's workplace but she said that Emily had been involved with the arts community and gave us a couple of contacts' answered Peter looking at El and trying to get a sense of how she felt about the impromptu getaway.

'I've already checked out flights and there's a direct flight to Ottawa leaving tomorrow afternoon at 5' said Sara, enthusiastically

'Whoa, whoa' said Neal, raising his hand '_Who _are you? And what have you done with my wife?'

Sara just grinned – it seemed she had been grinning non-stop since she'd spoken with Katherine. Neal was afraid that she was being overly optimistic. He'd known all along that the trail could end suddenly at any time, for all kinds of reasons. He didn't want to quash Sara's enthusiasm but he had to make sure she wasn't setting herself up for an enormous disappointment.

Elizabeth exchanged looks with Peter – as only married people do – communicating silently and getting a sense of where he stood on the idea. Sara was her best friend after all and seeing her this excited was beginning to rub off on Elizabeth.

'I suppose Yvonne could keep things going for me until I get back, as long as we're back by Friday' she said, looking at both Neal and Peter.

Peter finally shrugged 'Alright then! Let's go to Ottawa!'

WCWCWC

The plane landed at 6:20 at MacDonald-Cartier International Airport and the foursome climbed into the first available cab with instructions to be dropped off in the heart of downtown Ottawa, at the Westin Hotel. As they drove and with the sun beginning to set, they took in the sights as they drove along the Airport Parkway and the Rideau Canal. As they arrived downtown, they were struck by the beauty and history of the buildings along the way, the Parliament Buildings, the Château Laurier and the Conference Centre. It seemed like a muted version of Manhattan with beautiful sights but in a more subdued setting with none of the 'in your face' nature of New York.

They settled into their rooms and decided to have dinner in the hotel, choosing to strategize rather than go exploring, at least for their first night. From the restaurant, they could see the Parliament Buildings lit up and the majestic canal right by the National Arts Centre. The view was breathtaking, the company pleasant and the food fantastic and by the time ten o'clock rolled around, the couples were ready to take the party up to the Burkes' room for a nightcap and a final discussion of the next day's activities.

Peter had managed to get an appointment with Joseph Murray, head of the Civil Engineering Department at the Ministry of External Affairs. He had been Mike's boss back when Mike and Emily had gotten married and Katherine had remembered Emily mentioning him at the time. Mr. Murray had agreed to meet with Special Agent Burke although he wasn't quite certain why the FBI wanted to meet with him.

Sara and Elizabeth had decided to go with another angle. Katherine remembered that Emily had dabbled in painting and that she had been a patron of the Glebe Artists' Guild. The Glebe was an upscale neighborhood where Mike and Emily had owned a home, over on Holmwood Avenue by Paterson's Creek. Sara was looking forward to taking a drive through the area and seeing for herself where her sister had spent five years of her life. A quick internet search had yielded the address for the modest tea room that doubled as art house for members of the guild and Elizabeth and Sara were planning to head over for tea and conversation.

Tuesday morning dawned and the beauty of the city's lights gave way to the hustle and bustle of the day and a breathtaking view of the Gatineau Hills across the Ottawa River. The Ottawa Valley was prime maple land and the brilliantly changing colors in the distant hills could be seen from the Caffreys' hotel room.

'We have to go hiking in those hills' said Sara, mesmerized

'Wow, that is gorgeous' agreed Neal as he finished toying with his tie. 'Hungry?' he asked

'Starving' she answered. The air was crisp on this early fall day and Sara could feel her stomach rumbling despite the large meal she had consumed a mere ten hours before.

After breakfast, the foursome disbanded with Neal and Peter heading over to External Affairs over on Sussex Drive to keep their meeting with Mr. Murray while the women made plans to go exploring and stop in for tea at the Glebe Tea Room. They made plans to meet up at five o'clock in their hotel lobby and share whatever information they had been able to uncover throughout the day.

WCWCWC

'I'm not sure how I can be of help' said Joseph Murray as he pointed to the two chairs in front of his desk. 'But I'm glad to be of service to the FBI'

'Mr. Murray, this is not _official_ FBI business, per se' said Peter 'it's an investigation of a more personal nature – we're looking into the whereabouts of a woman who was married to one of your employees, Mike Foster'

'Mike? You mean Emily?' answered the man spontaneously

'Yes, Emily born Ellis' added Peter 'Neal here is Emily's brother in law – he's married to Sara Ellis, Emily's sister'

Joseph just listened, seemingly unsure why he should share any kind of information with these two men. Mike had been a valued co-worker and he had really liked Emily as well. He needed to make sure this wasn't a scam of some sort.

'Emily left home as a teenager and her sister never saw her again' explained Neal, leaning forward to make his point. 'My wife has been wondering about what happened to her for over 35 years'

The man listened but remained unconvinced.

'We've followed her tracks from LA to Arizona and up here. I'm really hoping to catch up to her' Neal continued as he pulled out the photograph of Emily and Sara, his ace in the hole.

At the sight of the photograph, the man seemed to relax a little. He recognized Emily even though she had aged many years by the time he had met her.

'And how, exactly, can I help you?' he finally asked

Peter spoke: 'Well, this is where the trail ends. We know they lived here for a number of years. Are they still here?'

'Mike retired three years ago. Sophie, that's Mike's daughter, she got married and had a baby and moved out west to Calgary and Mike and Emily thought it would be nice to spend some time in Europe. I got a few postcards but I haven't heard from them in over two years now'

'Where, in Europe, did they go?' asked Neal, frustrated that their final goal was eluding them once more

'They visited Paris and London and spent some time in Ireland but last I heard they had settled in Brussels. Like I said, that was at least two years ago'

'Did Mike have any other colleagues here – friends – who might know what happened to him?' asked Peter, suddenly sounding very official

'Huh, a few I guess, I'd have to think about it' said John

Neal pulled out his patented Caffrey smile: 'We'd be so thankful if you can put us in touch with them. We're here until Thursday and we're staying at the Westin' he said as he wrote down his and Peter's phone numbers, handing them over to the man who rose and shook his hand before walking them to the door.

A few _kilometers_ away (this was Canada, after all), Sara and Elizabeth were doing some sight-seeing in their rented car. They had driven down Queen Elizabeth Drive all the way along the canal towards the Glebe where they began zigzagging along the tree lined streets, enjoying the cool crisp autumn day and the beautiful multi-colored trees along the way.

They found the house on Holmwood which had been home to Mike and Emily while they lived in Ottawa and Elizabeth stopped the car while Sara stared at the beautiful house nestled on the quiet street and backing on to the small waterway that was Paterson's Creek. She tried to imagine her sister in the garden or perhaps walking their dog (did they have a dog?) or walking towards the shops up on Bank Street. Elizabeth reached out and touched Sara's hand bringing her out of her reverie.

'I somehow feel close to her here' said Sara, sadly as a lump formed in her throat

'It's beautiful here. They were obviously doing very well' added Elizabeth as she took in the posh neighborhood

'Yeah' responded Sara 'It's good to know that she had a good life after the rough start she had when she first moved away'

'What do you say we head over the tea room and see if we can come up with any leads?' asked Elizabeth

Sara nodded silently as she wiped a tear and within ten minutes they were both seated in front of a cup of Earl Grey tea and a blueberry scone. The tea room was small but jam packed with art pieces on the walls and in a nearby curio cabinet. The place had a lot of charm and the young woman who had served them seemed to be doing double duty in the kitchen and serving at tables.

When there was finally a small lull in activity, Elizabeth motioned her over and introduced herself and Sara, saying they were visiting from New York.

'Great!' said they young woman whose name was Hannah 'It's nice to know our reputation has made it all the way to the Big Apple' she added, laughing

'Well, it is very lovely' said Sara 'but we _are_ here for a very specific reason. I'm trying to find out what happened to my sister. She lived in the area up until about three years ago and she was a member of the artists' guild'

'What's her name?' asked Hannah

'Emily, Emily Ellis or Emily Foster, I'm not sure if she would have been using her married name'

'Emily Ellis...' said the young woman as her eye was drawn to the wall in the back of the small café. 'That name sounds familiar'

She walked over to a painting of a woman sitting in a rocking chair as she read, her hair partially covering her young face and Elizabeth and Sara's eyes followed her as she moved to gently touch the painting.

Sara's jaw dropped as she immediately recognized the young woman in the painting – it was her - or at least a much younger version of her, circa the time Emily had left home.

'I knew that name sounded familiar' said Hannah, pointing to the artist's signature at the bottom of the painting

'Oh, my God' said Elizabeth, standing and making her way to the painting. 'It's you' she added, mesmerized

'Do you know anything about the artist?' asked Sara, turning to the young woman

'No, I just remember seeing the name. Oh, and I think there are a few others from that artist' she said, as she began moving around the room pointing to two more pieces.

One was a breathtaking view of autumn hills, similar to the view Sara had spied from their hotel room that morning and the other was of a man sitting and sipping a cup of coffee in an outdoor café. Sara wondered if this could be Mike or if it was just some random man Emily had captured on canvas.

'Who can tell me about the artist?' Sara asked, realizing she was beginning to shake

'Nora Lambert runs the shop and she's been here for over ten years. I'm sure she could be of help. She works on Wednesdays and Saturdays... so if you want to pop in tomorrow, she might be able to tell you more' added Hannah as she spied new customers coming in and excused herself to go and greet them.

Sara stood and stared for a few minutes until she felt Elizabeth's gentle touch bringing her back to reality.

'This is incredible. Look at her style – it's almost identical to Hope's' she finally said, breaking the spell and looking over at her friend.

Elizabeth nodded silently.

'Look, let's go for now and we can come back tomorrow, okay' she finally said, trying to pull Sara's eyes away from the painting.

It took a few more minutes but Sara finally let herself be led out to the sun filled street by her friend.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Neal and Peter found their wives having a drink in the Shore Club, the hotel's bar. After a day of investigative work, they had all worked up a ferocious appetite and were looking forward to sharing their findings over a good bottle of wine and a delicious meal. Sara had researched restaurants before they had even left New York and she had a few suggestions for the foursome. They ended up in the Market area, within walking distance of their hotel at a lovely restaurant called The Blue Cactus. All four of them were feeling restless, aware that they had been marginally successful with their outings – the men hoping for a call back from one of Mike's friends and the women, anxious to go back to the tea room to meet with the woman who could possibly shed some light on Emily's passage at the Glebe Artists' Guild.

The tension began to evaporate however as the meal wore on and the wine began to have its desired effect making everyone feel a little bit more serene. The couples decided to order a second bottle which they sipped well into the night sharing memories of past holidays and happy times spent together. Their friendship, which had begun in such an unorthodox way, was now rock solid but it had certainly had its ups and downs over the years especially throughout the period when Neal was on anklet and oh so restless. But they had managed to see the best in each other and now, each knew he could count on the other for whatever hardships came their way.

By eleven o'clock, it was time to make their way back to their temporary home at the Westin in order to get a good night's sleep – their mission was far from over.

On Wednesday morning, Sara woke to Neal nibbling on her ear and making some lewd suggestion she couldn't quite make out but that left little room for interpretation. She rolled over to look at her husband and was greeted by a huge grin and a sultry stare.

'Good morning' she said, as she fully came to

'Why hello' whispered Neal as he buried his face behind her ear once more

'What's this, then?' giggled Sara 'One last hurrah for the gorgeous 51 year old guy?'

'Very funny! Every chance you get with the age thing, huh?' answered Neal, continuing to tease Sara with his lips and tongue.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Sara pried herself from Neal's tight grip to grab a robe and answer it.

'You've got to be kidding' murmured Neal, under his breath

'Breakfast is only served until 9:30!' announced Peter with his booming voice as he barged into the Caffreys' room with Elizabeth in tow 'Aren't you two hungry?'

'Good morning, Peter' said Neal with little conviction as he looked over at his wife thinking of what could have been.

'Neal, we got a call this morning' continued Peter, obviously excited

This seemed to bring Neal out of his funk and he sat up to look at his partner and get his mind back to business.

'We have a lunch appointment with a guy named...' Peter paused to look at the piece of paper he was holding in his hand '...Jason Mason'

'Are you kidding?' asked Neal, frowning

'About the appointment or the name?' asked Peter,

'Both actually, who does that to their kid?' answered Neal, getting out of bed and grabbing a t-shirt off a nearby chair

'That's fantastic news!' added Sara

'And you and I have a date with Earl Grey again today' said Elizabeth as she took a seat at the nearby desk

'All right!' said Neal, enthusiastically 'Give us twenty minutes and we'll meet you downstairs'

He sprinted to the washroom slowing down to give Sara a playful tap on the bum.

'Rain check' he said, winking

WCWCWC

The Earl of Sussex Pub was a trendy, local hangout right across from the National Art Gallery which Neal had been eyeing ever since they'd arrived in town. He sat, beer in hand and stared out the window admiring its architecture and beauty as it gleamed in the sunlight.

'I don't think this guy's gonna show' he said finally, looking over glumly at Peter

'Well, let's give him another few minutes before we pack it in. Maybe he's just running late'

'Are you Peter Burke?' said a middle-aged man who seemed to have just appeared at their table

'Yes. Jason?' Peter answered 'Please, have a seat'

The man smiled widely and grabbed the remaining chair at the table as he shook hands and explained he had been detained in a meeting.

'We really appreciate you meeting with us' said Neal, finally, after the men finished ordering their food. 'Did Joseph Murray fill you in on why we're here?'

'Yes, he did. But I'm afraid I don't have very good news for you' he said

Both men looked at him, brows furrowed, wondering what the bad news could be. Neal hoped it didn't involve Emily but he held his breath as the man spoke.

'Mike Foster passed away earlier this year. Mike and Emily were good friends of ours and Emily wrote to my wife to tell her that Mike had died suddenly of a heart attack in London'

'I'm sorry to hear that' said Neal 'Were they _living_ in London?'

'No, they were on vacation. They'd been living in Brussels for the past three years. Mike had retired and they were looking forward to many years enjoying the fruits of their labor. Mike was fluent in French and Emily had learned enough to get by and they loved the city. Mike had worked there many years ago on a project at the Cathédrale des Saints Michel et Gudule and he'd always dreamed of going back. The first summer, my wife Rhonda and I went out to visit them; they had a beautiful place in the country and they were really happy – it's really too bad they had such a short time together'

Neal sat on the edge of his seat, oblivious to everything around him and he took a deep breath.

'Do you know what happened to Emily?' he finally said

'She's still there, as far as I know' answered the man, taking a bite out of his sandwich

'Do you have an actual address where we could get in touch with her?' asked Peter, wondering if this was really happening. Had they finally come to the end of their long search, was Emily just within reach?

'I' ll talk to my wife tonight and get it for you' answered Jason, matter of factly, 'I can probably get it to you by the end of the day'

WCWCWC

'Hi ladies! Welcome to our little tea room. Have a seat, I'll be right with you'

Sara and Elizabeth looked nervously at each other. They both felt they were on the cusp of finding out more about Emily's life and perhaps even where she was right now. The woman, who they hoped was Nora, went back behind the counter and served up a slice of apple cake and a brownie and brought the plates over to a neighboring table before making her way back to where Sara and Elizabeth were sitting.

'So, ladies, I hope you have a sweet tooth. I just took an apple and cranberry cake out of the oven and it's still warm' she said, with a kind smile

Sara looked at the woman, instantly liking her warm disposition and smiling eyes.

'We'll definitely sample that' she said 'but we've also come to ask you for some information'

'Are you the ladies who were asking about Emily Foster?' she said without hesitation

'Yes...' said Elizabeth

'Hannah told me you'd come by yesterday and to be honest' she added, looking directly at Sara 'I would have recognized Emily's sister anywhere. You look just like her'

At this, Sara began to relax, happy to be connecting with someone who knew Emily and obviously thought well of her. Her eyes sparkled and started to fill with tears, despite her trying to keep it together. Elizabeth picked up on the emotion on Sara's face and decided to take the lead.

'Emily left home 35 years ago and Sara hasn't seen her since. She's hoping to find her sister and re-connect with her' said Elizabeth

'Look, give me a few minutes to call in one of our volunteers and I'll sit and have a chat with you. I also have something I'd like to show you' said Nora mysteriously as she walked away leaving Sara and Elizabeth breathless.

WCWCWC

The architecture of the building was amazing – dome-like with windows letting in the light and giving the structure a stately appearance. It sat right on Lyon Street in the middle of the Glebe, like a shiny jewel. The building was home to the arts community and housed an art gallery as well as workshop rooms and a large auditorium for seminars and conferences. The three women made their way up the stairs and into the main door walking straight into a forty foot high lobby which gave the building a regal look.

'This building originally housed city council chambers but that was eons ago' said Nora as she walked them through the lobby and towards a smaller, more intimate room. Sara was shaking slightly from all the emotion and the connection with her sister which she had lost such a long time ago.

Suddenly, she gasped as she spied the majestic door which they were about to walk through: on it was an ornate plaque that read 'Emily Ellis-Foster Gallery'.

'This room is dedicated to new and upcoming artists' Nora was saying

But her voice was like a faint echo in Sara's ears; she was feeling faint and she turned to Elizabeth, grabbing her friend's arm as if she feared she might fall or pass out.

'You okay?' asked Elizabeth, sensing that Sara was overwhelmed

Sara nodded but didn't speak.

'Emily was a very generous woman and she had struggled in her early life' said Nora 'She and her husband donated funding which allowed us to set up this room. Come on in'

The room was small in comparison to the immensity of the building; it had an intimate, homey feel to it. All throughout the room there were pieces of art, paintings, drawings, sculptures and plaques in a variety of styles. Sara thought of the art gallery they were about to open back home and she realized this was exactly the feel they were looking for: cozy, friendly and personal.

'And over here, are a number of pieces that Emily donated to the Guild to get the room started'

Sara stared as she took in the dozen or so paintings, mostly in oil but some drawings in pencil, that Nora was pointing to. She recognized many of the places she and Emily had visited in London on their last summer together and there were a few of a young girl in various poses that Sara immediately recognized as herself.

Nora continued: 'Emily did talk about you quite a bit. As you can see, you were the inspiration for much of her work. She didn't go into details but she said she'd had a rough childhood and that she'd had to leave her baby sister behind'

As she spoke, Nora began taking down one of the paintings 'This one has a special dedication' she was saying

Sara looked at the small, perfectly formed handwriting on the back of the painting: 'This is Sara, age 12, my beautiful little sister'

At this, Sara began to cry openly, not bothering to cover it up and before long she was sobbing loudly as both Elizabeth and Nora sat her down, comforting her and telling her to breathe.

Through her tears, she looked at the woman who was fast becoming a friend and asked: 'Do you know where Emily is?'

'She left three years ago to live in Brussels and I'm still in touch with her' said Nora, putting her arm around Sara

Sara gasped.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

'Hi hon' Elizabeth said into the phone. 'How are you guys doing?'

'Great! I think we finally have a solid lead on where to find Emily; she's in...

'Brussels!' they both spoke at the same time

'I guess I don't need to ask how you two are doing, then?' said Peter, grinning

'I think Sara really needs Neal right now' continued Elizabeth 'Can you guys come and join us?'

Within twenty minutes, the men were walking into the large building on Lyon Street, marvelling at the beauty of the building's architecture and its grand appearance in the middle of what was, for all intents and purposes, a residential area.

As Neal and Peter strolled in, they spotted Sara and Elizabeth sitting in the lobby on a bench by a large tropical plant which seemed to dwarf them. Neal could see Sara was very emotional but it took a moment for him to ascertain if she was upset or just overwhelmed by the events of the day. Elizabeth stood and Neal took her place next to his wife, putting his arm around her and looking into her eyes.

'Neal...' she said, her voice trembling 'You have to see this'

She stood, her legs shaking as Neal helped her rise and they walked together towards the small room which was right off the main lobby. Neal saw the plaque on the door and his eyes widened as he walked into the small space which was chock full of amazing, innovative art. His eyes went directly to the back where he spotted the likeness of his wife, as a young girl, and he smiled as he realized what it was he was looking at.

'She donated the space for young up and coming artists' Sara was saying as Neal made his way to examine the pieces

'This is so much like...' Neal said, in a trance

'...like Hope's work' finished Sara

'It's amazing – the similarities. The style, the colors, the medium... it's... uncanny' Neal added, admiring the paintings

He turned back towards his wife whom, he could see, was still struggling with this information overload.

'You okay?' he asked, finally, touching her arm

'A little overwhelmed...' she answered, a definite understatement

Peter and Elizabeth had followed them in and Elizabeth was explaining the details of what they'd found out just as Nora walked back into the room.

'Nora, this is my husband, Neal' said Sara as Neal reached out to shake her hand

'Hi, nice to meet you. I take it you knew Emily well' said Neal

Nora nodded. 'She's a very loving, giving person. Very generous. She wanted up and coming artists to have a place to show their work. She felt that people didn't always get the break they deserved and she felt very lucky that there had been people in her life who had helped her through some rough times.'

Neal thought of Gus, Mrs. Moore, Katherine and now Nora and he realized that Emily had made the very best out of a very shaky start. He knew that had to be a comforting notion for Sara.

He continued to look around the room, reflecting on the vision he and Sara had for their new gallery and he felt a sudden kinship with his sister-in-law, whom he had still not met. This was exactly what he and Sara had envisioned for their own place – a warm, inviting space to show off new artists and their unique visions of the world.

'Here's the e-mail address I promised you' continued Nora handing over a piece of paper.

Sara just stared at it, paralysed, unable or too frightened to take it from her. If she reached out and took the piece of paper, she would be committing to going all the way, to finally coming face to face with her sister after all these years and that thought enthralled her and terrified her at the same time.

Seeing her hesitation, Neal put out his hand and took the piece of paper and Sara realized she wasn't alone – whatever transpired from this moment on, Neal would be at her side every step of the way.

WCWCWC

By early evening, Sara was beginning to return to her old self and snap out of the trance she had been in since early that afternoon. Thursday was Neal's birthday and their last day in Ottawa and she had planned a whole day of fun for the foursome. Although it seemed they were now inches away from a reunion, she needed a few days to think about her approach. How would she contact her sister? Did she want someone to get in touch with her first and prepare her? Did she want to call her? Write to her? Hop on plane and find her?

She decided she wanted to wait a day or so to make all those decisions. She wanted Neal's birthday to be special – after all, he had done so much to bring her to this point and she was so grateful to her husband for his perseverance and yes, dare she say it, his impulsiveness in getting them started on the road to this wonderful adventure.

Sara and Elizabeth had arranged for the hotel to prepare a picnic lunch for them. Ever since they'd arrived, she knew that Neal would enjoy a walk through those beautiful hills across the river from where they were. Downtown Ottawa was a stone's throw away from the river which separated the province of Ontario with the francophone province of Quebec, home to the breathtaking Gatineau Hills.

Neal had also mentioned his interest in visiting the National Art Gallery which housed some of the most beautiful art in the world. Although he had curbed his urge to nab art years ago, he was most definitely an art _lover_ and as an artist himself, he loved admiring other artists' work and exploring new styles.

The morning was spent at the gallery as the four friends made their way through the permanent collections of Canadian, Indigenous and Asian art as well as the current exhibition of Impressionists – Neal's all time favorite period.

By noon, they made their way across the river to the Champlain Belvedere, jewel of the Gatineau Hills, which afforded an amazing view of the river and straight across to the city on the other side. They walked through some trails, enjoying the incredible colors of the autumn leaves rich hues of bright red, orange, yellow and brown creating an indescribable patchwork of earthy shades and tones. Neal had brought along his sketching pad and was busy trying to capture some of the beauty as they made their way to an intimate picnic area.

Sara and Elizabeth set the table for a delicious birthday lunch complete with croque-monsieurs, salads and a bottle of Merlot. They relaxed as they took in the scenery and simply enjoyed each others' company as Neal continued to gape, amazed at the stunning beauty that nature offered, sketching quickly as if it would all fade away. A walk back through the trails brought them to their original starting point and they slowly made their way back to civilization, finishing the day on the Market, shopping for a few odds and ends to bring home to the kids and souvenirs of their terrific impromptu holiday.

Sara had arranged for dinner in Chelsea, a beautiful little village known for its incredible restaurants and she had settled on _L'orée du bois_ which loosely translated meant 'clearing by the woods' which was exactly where they found the quaint restaurant nestled in the gorgeous, colorful woods in the hills.

Dinner was a gastronomic success. Neal couldn't stop smiling at his wife's minute attention to details and marvelling at seeing her so happy. Whatever anger and disappointment she had felt originally was now gone and he relaxed as he sipped on glass after glass of Châteauneuf du Pape, one of his most favorite wines, indulging a little more than he usually did as he let himself totally unwind after a few days of tension.

WCWCWC

Mozzie (aka Dante Haversham, Teddy Winters, Barry Soetoro...) had always thought of himself as a self-made man. Over the years, he'd had to redefine himself so many times that he thought of himself as a chameleon. But ever since he met Neal Caffrey, over thirty years before, he had to admit, he was part of a team, a pair, a duo and whatever Neal needed, Mozzie was there for him. He'd been with him through ups and downs, through rough times and happy ones and over time he learned that if Neal was happy, he was happy.

And Neal was definitely happy.

Mozzie had continued with some of his crazy schemes over the last few years but the yearning for adventure had definitely faded and he found himself happy with his circle of friends which now included, strangely enough, Suit and Mrs. Suit, who he had to admit was one of his favorite people in the world. Neal's request that Mozzie be Liam's godfather had definitely been a turning point for him. He now had the responsibility of looking out for someone other than himself, someone who was vulnerable and although uncle Mozzie could never be described as a 'model citizen', he did have a heart of gold and a sense of ethics that many law-abiding individuals never developed.

It was Thursday night and the game was scheduled for seven o'clock over in Brooklyn. The Lenox School Griffons were hosting the Ridgemont Tigers. Ridgemont was on top of the standings with 18 points but the Griffons were hot on their heels with 16. These were the top two teams in the New York area and the gym was packed to the rafters for this exciting game. Mozzie and Hope were in the audience cheering as the teams took to the floor.

Mozzie had been making sure the kids were well taken care of since Sara and Neal had left on their trip. He had taken up residence on the fold out couch in the family room the past three nights and had been preparing nutritious meals, taxiing the kids to their school activities and generally hanging around Meadowbrook Street playing house. Now that he was well into his sixties, Mozzie was enjoying life on the right side of the law as well as all of its benefits. He continued to take his role as godfather very seriously and had taken Liam under his wings, making sure the young man learned to stand up for himself – much like he had done with Neal thirty years before but without the criminal intent.

Neal and Sara were scheduled to be back the next day, Friday, so Mozzie had packed up the kids in the car and shuttled them over to Brooklyn. He was worried about his godson, who seemed out of sorts and really low on energy. He'd barely touched his dinner and Mozzie had given him the option of staying home and foregoing his game but Liam wouldn't hear of it – after all, he was nothing if not a loyal teammate and Ridgemont counted on him a lot considering he was their top scorer.

The first quarter buzzer sounded and the teams had just reached their respective benches when Mozzie spotted a commotion over on the Tigers' bench. The coach seemed to be standing over one of the players while he motioned for the trainer to come over. Mozzie looked on in horror as he saw a couple of the players helping one of their teammates to the floor as he lost consciousness. The blond mop left no room for error – it was Liam and Mozzie and Hope made their way down the bleachers in record time to where everyone was huddled.

Mozzie could see sweat on Liam's brow and a paleness he had never seen before.

'Call 911' shouted the coach

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

'Neal Caffrey... you are drunk!' declared Sara as Neal swooped down, pushing her onto the bed

'Lil bit' he answered as he began nibbling at her neck. 'S'my birthday, I'm allowed' he added, looking at his wife with lustful eyes

'Yes, you are' answered Sara, mischievously 'and I did promise you one last birthday gift'

Neal raised his eyebrows as if asking what that might be but he didn't wait for the answer as he slowly began to unbutton Sara's blouse, reaching his hands inside to pull her close to him. Wherever they were in the world, they were home when they were together and Neal began to enjoy the feel of his wife's body against his, the perfect ending to a wonderful birthday. Sara moaned softly as she felt her husband's hips pushing insistently against her and she reached up to begin undressing him. As Sara finished unbuttoning his shirt, Neal leisurely let himself fall back onto the bed, lying prone and letting her take complete control. Sara straddled him, her eyes not leaving his and proceeded to unbuckle his belt as he lay there, totally relaxed. The room was spinning slightly and he found her smiling face with his unfocussed eyes and he began reaching with his hands to bring her soft, pliant mouth to his.

Sara enjoyed seeing Neal relax. For so many years, Neal had been a total control freak, not daring to show his true self or his true feelings. Letting himself get tipsy never would have happened back then; it would have meant giving over some control to his mark and jeopardizing whatever con he was running at the time. Now that the conman's life was behind him, he enjoyed not always being in charge and letting those around him take some of the control especially in the bedroom where Sara wasn't afraid to take over. It was a welcome relief for Neal and he grinned goofily, staring languidly at his wife as she continued removing his clothing with mischievous eyes. His hands lazily found her breasts and he slipped his hands under her bra, tweaking her nipples and letting her breasts spill out. With hooded eyes and an intensity she knew all too well, he began to pull her to him, taking her to his mouth as he let out a satisfied moan.

Just then, his phone rang on the bedside table and Sara couldn't help but glance at the screen – it was late and everyone knows that late phone calls are rarely good news. She grabbed for it as she saw who was calling, leaving Neal hanging and none too pleased.

'Hey, I'm in the middle of something here' said Neal impishly, trying to take the phone out of her hand as he continued pulling her to him.

'It's Mozzie' Sara said, suddenly serious as she pulled away and handed the phone to her husband

'Mozz? What's up?' he said into the phone, the playfulness leaving his eyes

'It's Liam, Neal. He was taken to hospital' said Mozzie, figuring the direct approach was the best

'Hospital? What do you mean?' Neal seemed to have sobered up instantly, sitting up next to Sara who was straining to listen to the voice on the other end of the phone.

Neal switched over to hands free mode and suddenly Mozzie's voice filled the room as Neal and Sara stared at each other with consternation.

'He was at his basketball game and he passed out' continued Mozzie

'How? Did he hit his head or get injured?' Sara asked

'No! He was on the bench and suddenly, he was on the floor and they were calling 911' said Mozzie, panic in his voice

'Have they told you anything?' asked Neal, with his eyes wide as he stared off into space

'No, they're running tests and they want to keep him here until they figure out what caused it'

'Is he conscious?' asked Sara

'He wasn't when they brought him in and they haven't let Hope and me see him yet' Mozzie was sounding more and more upset.

Neal knew how much Mozzie hated hospitals and realized he must be really struggling with staying there when he would much rather be running the other way.

'Look, Mozz, call as soon as you hear anything. We're going to get the next flight out. What hospital are you at?' he asked, taking control of the situation

'Lenox Hill. Call and let me know what time your flight gets in, okay? But don't worry, Neal, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere' added Mozzie with extreme effort, Neal knew.

The sudden interruption in their idyllic getaway forced them into immediate action as Sara made her way to their laptop on the desk to search out the time of the next available flight while Neal ran to the room next door to let Peter and Elizabeth know they would be leaving as soon as possible. Although he insisted they stay and spend the last day of their planned holiday, Peter and Elizabeth wouldn't hear of it and by 4:00 a.m. all four of them were in a queue at the airport awaiting their 5:00 a.m. flight.

Neal and Sara had said very little to each other since Mozzie's call, each immersed in their thoughts and praying that their son was going to be alright. Neal had made an appointment with their family doctor for the following Monday and was chastising himself for not taking Liam to the emergency room earlier in the week. They both knew their son was not feeling well and hadn't been for a few weeks, but the normal teenage mood swings had obviously masked something more serious.

They sat on the plane, hands clasped, deep in thought, their faces riddled with worry.

'I shouldn't have waited for that appointment' Neal said, finally, guilt getting the better of him

'Neal, it's not your fault, neither one of us knew this could be serious' said Sara, squeezing his hand

'We shouldn't have left town. I'll never forgive myself if...' Neal began

Sara interrupted: 'Stop, don't even finish that sentence. He's in good hands right now and when we get there, we'll find out more'

Neal just looked out, seeing the sun beginning to rise on the horizon and shook his head, in disbelief and worry. He imagined Liam, lying in a hospital bed, alone without his parents nearby. Liam had his own brand of quiet strength but he had none of the forcefulness and intensity his sister had and Neal worried about him more than he ever had about his daughter. Whereas Hope was fiery and had that strength that was so evident in her mom, Liam was much more laid back and chose not to make waves, preferring to go with the flow and in the process making him much more vulnerable.

He thought back to the circumstances around Liam's birth and how he had been, for all intents and purposes, their 'miracle baby'. When Neal and Sara had been married for about a year and Hope was 15 months old, Sara had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It had been an incredibly difficult year, riddled with uncertainty and worry. Sara's wonderful oncologist had managed to leave her with one functioning ovary since Neal and Sara had expressed their wish for another baby but the odds were not in their favor, he'd explained. Chemotherapy was devastating and often left women infertile despite that remaining ovary and Neal and Sara had all but given up on having a second baby when that early September morning rolled around.

Neal thought back fondly to that morning. It was Hope's first day of school and he and Sara had just finished following the school bus to spy their daughter getting off safely at school when Sara had announced that she needed to make a stop at the drugstore on the way to the office. He remembered them sitting in the bathroom of their new home, he on the edge of the tub and she on the toilet as they waited for the results of the pregnancy test Sara had just taken. The excitement they had felt was palpaple – Sara's pregnancy with Hope had been unexpected and although they loved their daughter more than anything, the first few months of that pregnancy had been rocky. With Hope, there was none of that anticipation of a positive pregnancy test or the disappointment when another month rolled around without the desired result. With Liam, they had been hoping and praying for years and that elation of the first few minutes had been amazing.

Liam had arrived in the world, quietly, following a very short labor and when he had been placed in Neal's arms, he had looked up serenely at his dad, his fair hair and complexion such a change from Hope's dark features. Although Liam had Sara's coloring, he had none of the fire that Sara and Hope shared. He had a calm disposition, more like his dad's and he had grown up without the intense and forceful character of his sister. Whereas Hope had begun as early as when she was two years old showing her interest and passion for the arts, Liam had taken some time to develop his own interests and over time, he had developed an attraction to sports. Neal and Sara had encouraged this newfound passion and had seen Liam become more confident over time as he excelled in all the sports he tried his hand at.

Neal was astonished at how much he had grown to love his two children, so different, yet both eliciting an identical and overwhelming sense of pride and admiration. He glanced over at his wife, also lost in thought, and squeezed her hand once more as he smiled meekly at her.

Sara was still reeling from the news Mozzie had called them with. How could she not have seen this coming? Despite Liam's protests that she was coddling him, she should have gone with her instincts – she'd known for weeks that he wasn't well and she hadn't wanted to push. Over the years, she'd learned how to relate to Liam who was totally different from herself and from his sister. Sara wasn't afraid to push with Hope; her daughter gave as good as she got and she could hold her own in a discussion with her mom. But Liam, he was something else altogether – a lot like Neal in that it was all happening under the surface and you had to dig if you wanted to get anything from him.

Peter and Elizabeth had insisted on going with them to the hospital and by 6:30, all four of them had arrived in the emergency room of Lenox Hill hospital, in the heart of Manhattan. They were greeted by Mozzie and Hope who had been forewarned of their impending arrival. Hope threw herself in her mom's arms the moment she spotted her arriving through the emergency room door.

'So, what do we know?' Neal asked, his question aimed at Mozzie who was looking exhausted and upset

'Not much, Neal. The doctors wanted to wait for you to get here' explained Mozzie as Neal began to make his way to the reception desk

'Have you seen him, yet?' Sara asked, this time of Hope

'No, they won't let us see him. They've been running tests most of the night' she answered

Neal and Sara announced their arrival and were immediately ushered into a back room in the emergency ward while everyone else was instructed to remain in the waiting area.

The small examination room had a couple of chairs and Neal began to pace as Sara took one of the seats, both of them waiting for someone to come and talk to them.

Within five minutes, the door opened and in walked a young woman, in her thirties, wearing a lab coat, stethoscope hanging from her neck.

'Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey, I'm Dr. Jeffries. Please have a seat'

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

'Diabetes? How could that be?' Sara was losing it. She stood, frantic, arms flailing as Neal touched her arm to try to calm her down so they could hear the specifics of what the doctor was attempting to explain.

The young woman, who had identified herself as Dr. Jeffries, had barely been in the room two minutes when Sara began getting upset. The word 'diabetes' conjured up all kinds of scary images for her. Sara's maternal grandmother had suffered from late onset diabetes and she had died of the complications back when Sara was a young girl. All she remembered was that it was an awful disease and she sure as hell didn't want her son suffering from it.

'Your son's level of insulin was practically non-existent and he lapsed into a diabetic coma.' continued Dr. Jeffries 'That's why he lost consciousness - '

'But….' Sara interrupted as Neal raised a hand to stop her and give the doctor a chance to continue

'Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey, why don't you take a seat and I'll do my best to explain all this to you.' said Dr. Jeffries, sensing Sara's increasing alarm

Neal took Sara's arm and she followed him reluctantly, sitting beside him and facing the doctor.

'I need a bit more information about Liam's symptoms. Have you noticed that he's been particularly tired lately?' the doctor asked, as she began taking notes on a clipboard

'Yeah, we have' volunteered Neal. 'He's been lacking in energy, even lethargic at times. I guess it's been going on for a few weeks now but we thought it was just hormones…'

Seeing Sara's distress and perhaps interpreting where it was coming from, Dr. Jeffries added: 'I want to start by reassuring both of you that you haven't done anything wrong. Many symptoms of diabetes and other serious illnesses can be masked and you don't want to start chastising yourselves for not recognizing the signs'

Neal nodded. Sara continued staring ahead, speechless.

'Type one diabetes is a chronic disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of sugar in your blood. Without insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. Through a urine test, we were able to ascertain that Liam had high levels of glucose. Has Liam been particularly thirsty lately?'

'Not that I've noticed…' Neal began 'I don't know, maybe... come to think of it.' He turned to Sara 'The other night at the restaurant, remember, he ordered three drinks. That was odd, come to think of it' answered Neal, trying to connect with Sara who was still looking totally shocked

Doctor Jeffries continued: 'Teenagers don't always tell us everything they are going through and Liam probably didn't tell you how he was feeling'

'We went away this past week…' said Sara, trance-like

'It's possible you might not have seen all the signs even if you'd been here' said the doctor, reassuringly. 'What about weight loss?'

'That I did notice' answered Neal 'and his appetite seemed to fluctuate sometimes he was picky and then at times, he wouldn't stop eating… and he had a sore on his genitals that he showed me. I had made an appointment to have him seen by our family doctor next Monday'

'Those are all symptoms of diabetes' said Dr. Jeffries, calmly

After a few moments, Sara couldn't wait any longer : 'Can we see him?' she asked, sitting on the edge of her chair.

They had been at the hospital for almost an hour and still hadn't seen Liam; she was anxious to see him with her own eyes and gauge how her son was feeling.

'Sure. He's awake now; we've given him some insulin and we're monitoring his blood sugar levels -he's still a little out of it and obviously he's feeling run down.'

Sara was up like a shot, followed by Neal as the doctor led them out of the small cubicle they were in and down to the hall to the emergency room where they could see a dozen or so beds separated by curtains, giving patients some privacy, albeit minimal.

Dr. Jeffries took them to the bed at the very end and pulled the curtain back revealing Liam, laying there with his eyes closed, looking very pale and oh so frail.

Sara rushed to his side, rustling the curtain as she went and making Liam jump. He opened his eyes, looking disoriented then finally seeing his parents on either side of him, he smiled.

'Hi, guys' he said, rather weakly

'Hey, buddy' said Neal as he touched his hair and brushed a strand off his forehead 'you gave us quite a scare'

Sara still hadn't spoken, knowing full well that the moment she tried to speak, she would break down and start crying. She looked from Liam's face to Neal's, sniffling and taking her son's hand in hers. She was surprised that Liam didn't fight her; he was not a touchy-feely kid and he hated it when his mom mollycoddled him or initiated any public displays of affection but this time he let his hand stay limply in hers, welcoming her reassuring touch.

'What's wrong with me?' he asked looking at his dad

'Your blood sugar was too high and you lost consciousness' Neal explained, figuring he'd keep it to the basics for the moment. There would be plenty of time for labels and explanations; for now, he just wanted to reassure his son and keep him calm.

'Can I come home?' he asked, turning to his mom

'We'll have to let the doctor decide that' answered Neal, sensing that Sara was in no position to answer without falling apart.

The next few hours turned into a crash course in 'Diabetes 101' as Neal and Sara struggled to understand the intricacies of the disease and the implications for their son. They were getting the message that, although this was a serious disease that could result in some life threatening situations, this was a condition that could be successfully treated if well managed. There was no room for mistakes though - sugar levels had to be monitored several times a day and exercise played a major role in the balancing act.

Meanwhile, Hope sat with Liam who had finally been admitted to a room and she played cards with her brother, teasing him mercilessly as she always did. By mid-afternoon, Neal and Sara had been dismissed for the day with a promise of a meeting with a dietician the next morning and they both made their way back to Liam's room.

He looked a little more alert, although he was beginning to droop and he smiled at his parents as they walked into his room.

'So, who's winning?' asked Neal, feigning nonchalance as he was expertly able to do. This skill of his helped to keep things from becoming overly-dramatic at times like these. Although the situation was serious, their son was safe for the moment and with sound management of his symptoms, he would remain that way.

Dr. Jeffries, being an emergency room physician, had passed Liam's case over to the endocrinology department which specialized in the treatment of diabetes and Liam had been admitted for a few days while his sugar levels were stabilized and he and his parents were properly educated in the care and management of his disease.

'Hope, as usual' said Liam, sounding defeated in all senses of the word.

'I need to sleep' he added as he put his head back on his pillow.

'You sleep, then' said Neal walking up to him and gently kissing his forehead. 'Are you okay if Mom and I go home and change?'

'Yeah, I'm fine' said Liam, already closing his eyes

'We'll be back after dinner and one of us will spend the night here with you' added Neal

'Dad! I'm not a baby!' whined Liam, sounding somewhat like one

'I know you're not a baby' said Neal, calmly

'You don't need to stay with me' said Liam, sounding slightly more mature

'We'll see about that when I come back' said Neal, figuring they could have this argument later. There was no way they were leaving their son in the hospital overnight without one of them being there, of that he was certain.

Sara made her way to Liam's side and looked into his eyes, trying not to alarm him unnecessarily by revealing the fear and concern in hers. She ran a hand through his hair and he smiled up at her. Sara suddenly flashed to all the moments in her life when she had tried to make things better for her little boy: the first time she held him in her arms; bandaging his knee at age 2 when he fell at the park; consoling him when he cried on his first day of school, holding him when he fell in the yard and broke his wrist, comforting him when he came home after fighting with that bully Jeremy Jeffries and so many other moments when he had counted on her to look out for him and make his hurt go away.

He was now beginning his trek into puberty, then adulthood and she smiled down at him as she realized he wasn't her baby anymore and that although she and Neal would always be there to support him, he would have to face this disease by himself and for the rest of his life. She turned away before he could see the first tear drop fall.

WCWCWC

Neal had been sitting in a chair by Liam's bed, trying to concentrate on his book and glancing at his son every few minutes. Liam was sleeping soundly and had been since Neal came back from taking a shower and changing his clothes. Suddenly, he heard a soft noise and saw Mozzie standing in the doorway looking every bit as one might expect Mozzie to look in a hospital setting – anxious and hesitant.

Neal rose and stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

'How is he doing?' asked Mozzie, looking very nervous, yet concerned

'He's sleeping. It's diabetes, Moz' said Neal, his voice low

'What? How?' I can't believe I didn't see this coming?' said Mozzie, chastising himself

'Moz, none of us did. He's been tired lately and his system has been increasingly weakened because he wasn't producing any insulin. It's not anybody's fault - and they got it in time; they're working on stabilizing him before they let him come home'

'Are _you_ okay?' asked Mozzie, always the concerned friend

'I will be. Once we fully understand what this disease is all about and how we can help him to stay healthy. Sara's a bit of a mess. Apparently, her grandmother died of diabetes when she was little and she's having trouble disassociating that from what's happening to Liam'

'Look, Neal. You guys just got back from your trip. I bet you barely got any sleep last night. Why don't you go home and let me stay with him tonight?' said Mozzie, earnestly

'No, Mozz. I know how much you hate hospitals. I'm here' answered Neal, touched by Mozzie's generous offer

'I'm not taking no for an answer' answered Mozzie 'I had a few glasses of wine before coming; I'm feeling mellow plus I need to finish reading this amazing book I started' he said, pointing to the hardcover in his hand entitled 'The first Martian invasion : the stock market crash of 1929'

Neal chuckled to himself. 'Alright, then. I'll just let him know I'm going and that you're here'

WCWCWC

Neal made his way up the stairs, turning off lights as he went. It was almost midnight and it had been a very stressful and eventful twenty-four hours.

'Neal?' Sara called out as he climbed the last few steps up to the second floor landing

'Yeah, it's me' he answered, walking into their bedroom

'What's wrong? Why are you home?' Sara bolted upright in the bed as Neal stepped through the door

'_Nothing's_ wrong, honey. Mozzie came by and he insisted I come home and get some sleep. He's going to stay the night with Liam' Neal said, his voice rough

He let himself fall heavily on the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes and he suddenly heard the sobs coming from Sara's side of the bed. She had held it together thus far, not wanting to upset Liam or Hope but now that they were in the privacy of their bedroom with Neal there to pick up the pieces, she was finally letting it all go.

Neal turned and lay down on the bed, welcoming her into his arms as her body began to shake from the sobs that were escaping her constricted throat.

'Hey, hey, hey' he said, soothingly as he pulled her to him

'He's just a baby...' she cried

'Sara, he's gonna be okay' Neal said, trying to convince himself as much as his wife. 'We're going to get the information we need and we're gonna help him through this. People can live long, happy lives with diabetes. It's all about balance' he added, pulling her in more tightly

Her sobbing had softened somewhat and he felt her pushing her face into his chest as she sniffled softly. He could feel her nodding, without conviction against him as he spoke and he could feel the wetness of her tears pooling onto his shirt.

Who said she was the 'hard as nails one of the pair'? Sara had a very soft heart when it came to their kids and as the years went by, she had become more and more comfortable with showing that soft, nurturing side. Neal hurt just as much but he was always in 'solution mode' trying to fix things, make them better. If one of the kids needed something or had a problem they needed to resolve, he was right there helping them through and providing the support they needed.

Together, they made an amazing couple of parents doing their best to keep their kids safe from harm and on the road to productive and happy lives.

Neal and Sara lay together in the quiet of the night and wondered what lay ahead for Liam and how they would help him face this new challenge life had thrown at him. Although they were both exhausted, sleep did not come easy.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

It was January 20th and New Yorkers were knee-deep in a particularly nasty and snowy winter. The holidays were behind them and everyone was looking forward to an early spring.

Liam Caffrey took out his kit and set it up on the table as everyone in the busy cafeteria prepared for lunch. It had been three months since his diagnosis and he was beginning to get the hang of testing his blood sugar levels before every meal. Some of the girls thought it was really cool and had assembled around him like he was some sort of celebrity as he began to prepare the materials he needed to carry out the test. As the lancet pricked his skin, Cara Hughes let out an admiring howl.

'Wow, that's so cool' she said, smiling at Liam

Cara was a year ahead of Liam in school and he had always thought she was really beautiful. But she had never been impressed with Liam's prowess in sports, his physical attributes or his winning ways. She was more interested in a future career in health care and she loved biology and things most other girls found gory. She enjoyed spending time with Liam and watching him carry out his glucose test - and Liam wasn't complaining.

He made a slight sound, indicating some level of pain – although there was none – and he spied Cara's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

'Does that hurt?' she asked, concerned as she touched his arm

'Not much' said Liam, sounding stoic and brave

WCWCWC

'And I want that stand over by the corner' Neal was saying to the crew that had been hired to pull together the last few details for the gallery opening.

'Dad, where do you want this one?' asked Hope as she came up the stairs, carrying a large framed canvas.

'Put it over there for now; honey you still haven't told me the sequence you want on those cottage paintings' Neal countered, absent-mindedly as he checked the plans he had spread out on the table in front of him.

The gallery opening was 48 hours away and most of the art work had arrived. Neal had been working for weeks on the placement of each piece, how it was going to be displayed, its position, height, placement and lighting and thankfully, the downstairs portion of the gallery had been complete now for a few days.

Upstairs was a different matter. That was where he would be showing off Hope's work as well as his own and although he had been on his daughter's case for weeks to finalize her choice of pieces, he had given very little thought to his own selections and now he was rushing to have it all ready by the deadline. He was also adding one more artist to the mix and he had to figure out how to give this worthy painter the space her work so richly deserved.

Sara walked up the stairs followed by three other volunteers carrying large vases of orchids in a variety of bright colors. She began placing them in various spots in the room.

'Neal, I think I want to wait for all the art work to be up before I commit to placing these vases' she said

'Neal? Neal?' she repeated but her husband was miles away

'What?' he said finally, snapping out of his trance

'Nothing' said Sara as she came up to him, taking his face in her hands. 'It's all going to be wonderful, I promise'

Neal took a deep breath, nodded and returned to his plans. This was the most significant and personal project of his life and he thought that no matter what he did over the next couple of days, it would never live up to his expectations. He and Sara had sacrificed so much for this gallery, financially and every other way and the big opening was only two days away. Two days from seeing his dream come true.

This _was_ a dream on so many levels. It was a showcase for the many talented students he saw on a weekly basis, a chance to show the world the many faces of art as seen through the eyes of up and coming artists. It was an opportunity to let everyone glimpse into the huge talent that was Hope Ellis-Caffrey and her vision of the world in all its simplicity, innocence and beauty. And finally, it was the culmination of his journey as an artist – an affirmation that he was not a forger or a counterfeiter but rather an artist in his own right, a man who had lived life and had things to say about the world around him.

'Sara, I thought that special delivery was arriving this morning' he said, sounding alarmed

'It is, Neal. UPS called and it arrived; they're dropping it off by the end of the day' Sara said, trying to reassure him.

Neal sighed. The final few pieces were a last minute addition but he had given them a special place of honor right on the back wall, to be admired by all as they came up the staircase and peered into the loft.

'Look, everyone it's twelve thirty. Everybody take an hour for lunch and we'll see you back here at one thirty' called out Sara. Neal wasn't even aware of the time and come to think of it she hadn't seen him eat anything at breakfast, either.

'Neal, come on. Let's go next door and get a bite' she said, taking his arm

'No, I can't. You guys go ahead...' mumbled Neal

Sara took a deep breath; she was about to insist then she held back. She knew her husband all too well. There was absolutely no way she was going to drag him away from this place. The best she could hope for was getting him to take a few bites of something she could bring over from the café next door for him.

'Neal is really intense' said Emily as they sipped their tea and tucked into their sandwiches

'That's nothing' said Hope 'You should see him when he's working. The house could be on fire and he wouldn't even notice'

Sara laughed and nodded in agreement. She couldn't believe that she was finally here, with her daughter and her sister enjoying lunch in a Manhattan café. Ever since Emily had come back into her life, she hadn't stopped grinning, wanting to pinch herself at every turn.

After Liam's condition had stabilized and he had finally come home, Sara had turned her attention back to that little piece of paper that Nora Lambert had handed to her on that early October day. She had gathered her courage and written a short e-mail to her sister asking if she would be willing to contact her. The phone had rung within two minutes of her e-mail and they had been reunited with Emily crossing the pond to be with her sister and her family by Christmas.

It had been a magical holiday season for Sara as she and Emily had become reacquainted and eventually inseparable. They had so much to catch up on and Emily had ended up staying with the Caffreys for over a month, extending past the Christmas holiday season. She had gone back to Brussels to arrange her affairs and had made the decision to return to the States to live. She wanted to get back to her sister and although she loved their house in Brussels, it was an empty shell now that Mike was gone and she was feeling lonely. She had promised to be back by the time the gallery opened and had arrived that morning, keeping her promise, anxious to see one of Sara and Neal's most precious dreams come true.

Emily had been thrilled to meet her new family. She and Hope had so much in common and Sara was delighted to see her daughter and sister getting along so well. Emily had confided that she would have loved to have children and that she was very attached to Mike's daughter, Sophie so having Hope and Liam in her life meant a lot to her.

By the time they made their way back to the gallery, Peter and Elizabeth had dropped by to lend a hand. Neal had a lot of time for Peter, as always, and he counted on his partner's common sense to help him make good, well thought out decisions. Peter and Neal were hunched over the plans and Peter was pointing to something when Sara made her way back with a gourmet sandwich for Neal.

'Here' she said, in a very bossy tone 'Eat this, I want to _see you_ putting this in your mouth and chewing it. I don't want you sick for the opening'

Neal looked up at his wife, finally connecting with her and kissed her cheek 'Thanks' he said quietly, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a first tentative bite.

'Alright, I think we're ready to put Hope's collection up' declared Neal as he began putting Hope's paintings in order against the wall and barking orders to the crew.

WCWCWC

'I thought I might find you down here' said Sara as she came up behind Neal, snaking her arms around his waist

'You still debating between those two?' she asked, looking around his studio

Neal nodded, rubbing his chin as his eyes went from one painting to the other. He was choosing the last of his pieces and he couldn't decide between one of Hope when she was about three years old running in a field of bright yellow daisies and another of Liam as he prepared to jump off the dock at the cottage they rented every summer. Both were studies in human kinetics, so alive with movement yet obviously very personal as the artist's love for his subjects shone through.

'Could you squeeze them both in?' she asked wisely

Neal turned to face her and put his arms around her 'I suppose I could... How come you're so smart?' he finally said, coming to his senses

Sara just shrugged and cocked her head in an 'I don't know' gesture as Neal broke out laughing.

'I know I've been crazy the last few weeks. I'm sorry; I realize I'm going to have to let this go at some point...'

'What can I do to help, Caffrey?' asked Sara, salaciously as she ran her fingers through his hair

Neal let himself relax slightly, letting his wife deposit a soft, lingering kiss on his mouth. He sighed and felt himself start to unwind. Sara always knew what he needed.

WCWCWC

The morning of the 22nd dawned crisp and sunny.

As event coordinator, Elizabeth had arrived bright and early to direct her employees and make sure not a single detail was overlooked. Her job, now that the gallery was totally functional, was to prepare for the many guests who would be arriving sometime after two o'clock that afternoon. That included welcoming them, serving refreshments, presenting the exhibits and generally making sure everyone had a good time.

Paul Bilowski, art critic for the Times had confirmed as had Javier Turner from New York magazine. Elizabeth hadn't told Neal but she had also secured a critic from the Village Voice, which was the ultimate mouthpiece for anything artistic in New York City.

Elizabeth had asked Neal and Sara not to come down to the gallery until after lunch. There was nothing more Neal could do and she needed to work without him hovering over her. Neal had handed her the list of special guests which included Gus Brown from Los Angeles, Mabel Moore from San Diego, Katherine Baker from Tucson and Nora Lambert from Ottawa. Neal had invited them as part of a special surprise for his sister-in-law and he hadn't shared the news with Emily or Sara.

Emily's five paintings had arrived, on loan from the Glebe Artists Guild in Ottawa and Neal had nestled the paintings on the back wall between his collection and Hope's. There were three artists in the extended Caffrey family now and all three had special places on the second floor of the Raphaël Gallery.

The opening was a huge success and was written up in no less than six publications. As the Caffrey clan shared dinner with their friends and extended family on the night after the opening, Sara rose to make a toast as Neal sat by her side, beaming.

'Could I have everyone's attention, please' she said 'I'd like to read from the Village Voice's morning edition'

She picked up the paper and began to read to all those assembled:

'_The Raphaël Gallery opened its doors this week and showed the world that there was still a place for up and coming young artists who are exploring new and refreshing styles and techniques. It is a friendly, welcoming and inspiring place which isn't afraid to take chances with new and unusual styles. The owner, local artist and teacher, Neal Caffrey, has included daily tours of the gallery and classes for all levels of artists from beginners to the more accomplished. His daughter, Hope Ellis-Caffrey, herself a talented painter whose work is showcased at the gallery, will be giving art appreciation lessons to children from six to twelve years of age beginning next week. 'We want to make art accessible to everyone' said Mr. Caffrey 'and not some snobbish medium for just a few privileged collectors. Art appreciation is in the eye of the beholder and everyone can learn to enjoy its beauty and relevance to the world.' I say, long life to the Raphaël Gallery'_

Everyone hooted and hollered as she finished, echoing the sentiment, raising their glasses and chiming in 'Long life to the Raphaël Gallery'

Sara took her place next to Neal and looked over at her smiling children and her loving sister. Her life could not possibly be more complete. Emily had been found, Neal had found himself and she had found peace and contentment as her family was finally whole, once again.

La fin


End file.
